Elastic Heart
by CinnamonFiend
Summary: Bella, after the loss of Edward, finds herself battling a word she isn't strong enough to withstand. Paul wants her to realize imprinting isn't mistaken...and his wolf, his being needs Bella to be strong. They've found themselves vulnerable to far more than they bargained for. One thing is certain...they've found one another now. Love strong enough to never waver.
1. Chapter 1

Bella had always assumed that once _he left_ she'd always be accompanied by the mind-boggling anguish on the left side of her chest. She barely felt the need to breathe anymore. The air seemed to burn with the memories of sweet serenity with _him_. A smell, an ache, an emotion she'd lost that day in the mossy green trees. Before _he_ left she'd felt it. The trees of forks were more than jaded moss surrounding eerily cloudless hours-rather she was surrounded by burgundy jubilant air. She floated on air it seemed _. He'd_ taken it all. Her best friend. Her heart. Her family.

Now the jaded green moss covered by sunless day's left frigid ice around her chest and throat. She felt like the languishing heartbreak _he'd_ left her with was stupefying. The existence she once loved when she reached Forks had faded. She was left with no desertion from the painful memories. Until she started traveling to Lapush.

Jacob… Jacob was the peace she found behind the cloudy days. When she was at Lapush Bella found staggered behind the boy as if her life depended on it. She couldn't seem to get enough of the luminous air that traveled behind her Jacob. He was her best friend. Her confident. In more ways then she'd ever hoped weeks into their relationship. The transformation he'd taken had shifted their relationship dynamic. Jacob assured Bella it was nothing. He was just happy she remembered the legends he'd told her before…before her abandonment. Bella didn't mind him being a wolf at all. As long as he stayed in her life. The days with Jacob were tolerable. They made her heart ache-in all the right places.

Jacob made her laugh-she'd missed her laugh, even if the laughs never reached her eyes. Jacob made Bella smiled-she missed the smiles that were etched on her flaw full face. Jacob brought happiness into her life-she suppressed herself deep within his mirth. Jacob had brought her out of the clouds. The gray bitter despondent clouds. How could she not accept her best friend being a wolf? Her heart may have no longer beat but Bella felt as if her air had sparked alive when she traveled to Lapush…to see Jacob.

Lapush was where Bella felt liked she was as close to lively as her heart allowed. It didn't matter if Jacob was with her some days. She was content to set along the cliffs Jacob had promised to dive off of with her one day. Lapush was the place that her so eager to live again. She felt like she was missing the one place she could smile again when she wasn't in Lapush. Bella chalked it up to him again. The way Bella saw…she loved Lapush because of the treaty. No memories mocked her here. When the wind blew it didn't carry her lost families scent. It carried the deep rustic smell of the oak, pine, and whatever else surrounded her. She loved the wind in Lapush. Sometimes she felt insane.

She felt at ease against the slick rocks. She pondered where Jacob was as she looked down at the billowing harsh waves. Bella considered taking a step forward. There. There _he_ was.

 _Bella don't._

She wanted to argue back, instead her foot slipped further out as she leaned over the cliff. Why was she so reckless? Recently out in the woods Bella had acquired the knowledge that _he_ would pop in her when dangerous things happened. Bella went on a hunt for their meadow. She couldn't seem to get enough of the agitation that flared in her stomach. _He_ hated when she did that. So much that _he'd_ appear beside her. Talk her out of the craziness she'd consider just to hear the velvet of _his_ voice. _He_ was angry with her this time. She loved it. _He_ called her Bella. Bella…she'd missed her name on _his_ lips.

To far was never in Bella's vocabulary. She stepped one last time to see him reach further for her. She couldn't catch herself as she toppled over the cliff. No scream escaped her throat. She couldn't scream in hope anyone would hear her. She pondered the thought if it was simply because death didn't seem so hard or far. Her mahogany curls slapped her cheeks. She was close to the water now. She closed her eyes. _Edward_. He was there. Telling her to push as she smacked the water.

For once Bella's heart thundered into action, her daunt actions lost in the frosty water. Her eyes flew open in shock. The water was chaotic. Bella's body distorted as a wave crashed her into something solid. She assumed it was a wall. She could no longer struggle and wrench toward the surface. Why? What had she done to herself? To Charlie? To Jacob? The pack? She'd loved them. Just not how she loved _him_. Right… _him_. He was near. Bella's eyes took in the exquisite sight of _him_ floating with her in midnight cover. The water was so dark this deep. She felt heavy. Really heavy. Bella closed her eyes. The flame in her lungs was starting. She was being consumed by the water. Edward.

"Bella. Oh my God. Bella please be okay. Bella. Don't. Oh God. Go get Sam Jared. NO" the voice it was familiar to Bella. She felt has if her chest had been crushed. Her eyes were ringing. She felt…tenebrous and heavy. That voice. Who was that? "Bella honey. Be alright. PAUL. NOT NOW. HELP ME SAVE HER". Jacob.

It was Jacob. Bella felt so tired. She wanted to comfort Jacob. He was also so jolly, what was wrong with him? She was so sleepy again. Her throat wouldn't open. She was lost in herself. Then...she felt it. Warmth a warmth beyond the callous cover on her body. They were hands. She couldn't hear Jacob any more. The hands traveled where no hand other than hers had dared venture. The bottomlessness in her chest released and her eyes flew open. Paul. Paul's face was in front of hers. She was at a lost in his eyes. The intense harboring in her chest lurched more water out of her mouth allowed deep shallow breathing to slice the air. Bella twitched and shivered. The air was biting.

"You're so fucking stupid. Get up Bella. We've got to go back to Sam's" Paul was always so harsh. Even then his body over Bella's brought a delirious thick sensual fever. Paul. Paul smelled of the leaves in autumn on an evening night. Crisp. Beautiful. All russet and built in frame. He towered Bella. He stood 6'4 and his body hosted no signs that he was only 22, Paul was a man. Bella exhaled more of him. His heat was intoxicating. She was so weak. "Bella dammit. Are you okay?"

"P-p-Paul." Bella burned all over as she spoke. Something in Paul uncoiled. The austere abrasive demeanor on his face slipped at once. He was softened by her voice. His eyes shone in their black hot spell. Bella was raptured. Paul's lips were full, even, and perfect. His chin chiseled like a piece of art work. Why had she never seen how beautiful he was? Paul. The bawl that slide up her chest escaped her throat. His face contorted in misery as he cradled her. He felt exposed. Where was Jacob? Bella had flipped him inside out suddenly. The imprint slapped him clear across the face. He was so angry but when the gust of torment expressed behind Bella's voice it undid the man he'd fought to become. Bella was Paul's imprint. She no longer was a lamb falling in love with a lion. She was a prey to the wolf. Her wolf. Paul was hers. In her own despair she couldn't feel it. He could. The whole pack could. Howls filled the air. He picked Bella up and ran. Ran from where he'd left all his icy abhorrence.


	2. Chapter 2

Jacob had known. Why the hell had he asked _Paul_ to help him save her? He had simply known before Paul had even imprinted on the love of _his_ life. Bella…was his heart. He loved Bella. She was his Bells. How could he have known before Paul had that he could save Bella-save Bella from something from far worse than death….herself? Jacob was in-tuned with his pack. The demand he had made to Paul was so _final_. These were the moments Jacob dreaded. The ending to his own childhood; a change in himself. He had known before Paul had…Paul could save her. How could he be angry?

The sluggish breathes he was taking in Sam's kitchen become harder to contain. His breathe was labored. For a moment the crucifixion of Jacob's heart made him slap a hot tempered opened palm on the countertop he gripped. The granite cracked under the weight of his own hunger for the pricking in his chest to cease. Jacob loved her. He loved Bella the way….the way that the sun loved the horizon. He could never tell her goodbye….he always said until later. How had he known Paul could save her? Her usual burgundy lips were indigo…icy indigo. Her blush cheeks were chalky and daunt. Bella was dying a brief second-she began to die. And what had Jacob done? He had bellowed to Paul. The morbid thoughts flashed across his mind.

Jacob knew why he'd suddenly felt that Paul could save her. He was Alpha. Not a stand-in. Not a maybe. Not a possibility. He was meant to be Alpha. And for Bella for a brief second with her life in danger he had dared to become the man he was supposed to be. Why in the hell had the gods chosen Paul over him? She made Jacob the man he was supposed to be. Jacob was always willing to stand with Bella-but now he'd have to stand for himself. The stupefying capture he had felt for Bella was dimming. The ardor he had felt was being replaced with a covet rancor and fluttering cheerlessness. The chill settled in his heart momentarily as he gripped the granite countertops.

Emily had the whole pack paint the interior of the farm house that she and Sam owned. The battered couch that Bella was thrown across was green like the cabinets of the kitchen. The jade moss color was sickening to Jacob as he listened to Bella's harbored breathing. Jacob focused on the back of the couch where he knew Bella lay barely hanging onto life. The floral print was mocking him. The jagged roses were shaped in heart connected by vines. The interior of the Uley household was a focus of jade moss and yellow sun shine Jacob usually enjoyed. This was the pack hive. The suddenness of the porch screen door slamming closed made him leave his reverie. Paul was here ….

Paul entered the house haphazardly, Jacob met his eyes and Paul longed to explain himself to the potential Alpha. Confess his own aversion for imprinting on the leech lover. He could smell Bella. She smelled like…coffee. The good rich coffee to him. She was cinnamon nutmeg and ebony perfection. Like an early morning autumn in his cabin….where the window over the kitchen was always open and the LaPush breeze blew through. She reeked of memories for him. His mom had made coffee before she…. Paul was wary of the girl on the couch. Her breathing wasn't any good, he could hear the stuttering of her usually hammering heart. She wasn't in the clear from death's grip yet. He longed to help her. To reach for her instead he let himself be consumed by the enmity that was ripping through his body. The hatred Paul felt for all things was constant and unwavering. He longed to destroy something just then. He was lethargic with anger-he wasn't any good for anyone.

Jacob met the older wolf's eyes, bright lemon iris flickered at him. Paul's own breathe was suddenly labored. He had involuntarily hurt Jacob and while he hadn't meant it Paul knew that he couldn't apologize for it. Bella was his. Paul was a fuck up. Paul didn't need to imprint he needed to kill something. Paul needed to sink his wolf nails into flesh to pin down his prey and sink his own teeth in the jugular of the victim and watch the blood spill over on his own skin. He wanted to end the constant cycle of uselessness, damaged, and inability to love the people he loved right. Jacob understood. After all Jacob was the happiest of all the pack members-or at least before Paul had whisked Bella away into Jacob's heart as a sister forever. The urge to break down the whole house raked Paul's body. He was such a fuck up.

"She's not doing so hot Paul" Jacob raked a hand through his soft dark hair and linked his fingers in the front part above his widow's peak. He was bitter, incensed, outraged at his pack brother for nothing. For everything. Paul hadn't volunteered his heart to Bella…. _Yet_. He was forced to realize that he could go on his days pretending that Bella was always a leech lover or he could extend himself and fulfill them both. He'd spend the rest of his days on Earth in misery and Bella would never heal. Somehow that thought made Jacob's own wolf spasm inside him. His own eyes brimmed a bright amber. He hated himself. "Paul help her…she's God…Paul…you've got to do something". Jacob was begging. Someone else had to fix what he could never even get to open up to him. Bella.

The pack knew of Paul's terrible rough beginning in his life. The wolf lifestyle had cost him so much in his lifetime he was damaged. He was a murder. Paul stalked over to the couch through the opening where the kitchen and living room met. Bella was bleached and stone. Her heart sounded so weak and drowned. Paul longed to be able to fix what was broken inside of her. His own heart had never beat since the day he had held his mother's dead lifeless body in his hands. His body shook the couch as he swallowed down the rage of the shift. Jacob needed him to save Bella. The pack needed him to save Bella. He hadn't known it yet either but he needed to save Bella…..

Paul lifted the thin girl into his lap. She fit perfectly. He legs clung closely to his thighs as he cradled her in his arms. He knew she needed from him. She needed his life. Paul after all was nothing but the pack's best warrior. Bella was their friend. Warriors could be trained. Friendship was sometimes irreplaceable. He placed his left hand under her shirt and hissed in resentment and sickness. Her body was so cold it burned his hand. He placed his left hand under her shirt and bra and began to rub her body vigorously. He could feel the warmth he admitted being evaporated into her body. The little girl could have it all from him.


	3. Chapter 3

Bella felt like her body was on fire. She listened to her heart murmur out beats until she could count the arrival of the next one. Her breathing was normalizing. She was vaguely aware she was in someone's arms. Someone was caressing her chest, her nipples perked up at the gruff hand that skimmed them vigorously before going down to her stomach and rubbing soothing circles. She was beginning to recognize the smell…it was her favorite season. It was autumn touching her. Paul… At the same moment that Bella's nipples perked up to his touch Paul instantly regretted touching the girl. He was violating her respectability, he was aware that she had never been touched. She was his. He was aware of everything. Her lips weren't the normal burgundy blood yet but her blemish had slowly started again in her cheeks and spread down her neck. He could hear her heart gaining ground and begin to stabilize. She wasn't as cold as before. Her hair was still wet and plastered between his arm and the arm rest of the couch. Paul graced Bella with one more rub over her nipples with both hands before he planted his hands firmly below the wire line of her bra to rub her stomach.

The last twitch Paul graced Bella with over her pearly salmon nipples made her let out a gush of fluid from a place she had never experienced activity from unless it was her body shedding its useless preparation for a baby. She was aroused. Paul's hands were large and rough; he smelled edible. And she was so damn tired. She couldn't remember sleeping so peacefully. Paul could feel the shift in her body-she was sleeping. After he and the pack had been graced with the loud odor of coffee from Bella as he touched her nipples- her breathing had hallowed out and she began to sleep. Paul held her a few seconds longer before setting her gently back on the couch and getting up to leave.

"Paul she never sleeps…" Jacob was in the same position as he was when Paul had entered the Uley home. The whole pack had gathered around the oak table and plopped on the benches to prepare for a meeting and debriefing. Paul couldn't get himself to ignore the whimpering that began to escape Bella's lips after he had let her go. Fucking imprinting and she was calling out to him. The gods had given him this girl to fix-one last attempt to prove himself worthy. He'd be damn if he gave it up. "Stay with her Paul she's always tired. Save her Paul". Jacob's voiced tremored and not from weakness but with authority. Paul's eyes glossed over amber and hot as he met Jacob's snarling glare. Jacob's eyes had glossed black all over. Paul felt the urge to phase again. Jacob was becoming more and more wolf. As the days had been passing there had become a natural attuning the Jacob had to the other members of the pack. They were animals. Wolves. Their alpha was rising to order. Sam sighed and leaned back on the bench into the love of his life. Emily responded by placing a scarred arm across his neck in soothing joy. Sam was fucking jolly that the natural occurrence of Jacob's leadership had begun to happen. He was so damn tired. He wanted to inbreed Emily. He wanted to make his life a life beyond taking care of the younger wolves. After all Sam Uley was 25 years old. Most of the company he kept was younger than 17 and it made him feel as if he was already a father.

Paul closed his eyes. He wanted to help Bella. He wanted to prove that he was not a lackey of the pack. Paul was a warrior. A killer. Paul felt his heart frosting over again, what the hell could he do for Bella? Jacob should have imprinted. His baby alpha had to order him to help his imprint. Paul was damaged and everyone knew why but he couldn't figure out how he himself could heal. A midnight cloud moved over Paul's head as his amber eyes glossed to full black. It was an eerie thing about being a wolf being so animalistic. Few of the pack members-the volatile wolves of the pack could lose the whites of their eyes in their fury. The whites disappeared and their eyes became demonic animal-a representation of inner battle between wolf and man where the body couldn't decide on man or animal and decided something fair more dangerous something in between.

The wallowing brawl that rose from Bella's throat moved Paul from his stalemate with his up and coming alpha. He moved back to the coach and placed a hot hand on Bella's upper arm. The anguishing cries ceased and the pack watched with bottomless foggy eyes. Paul stared down at the paled faced girl in front of him and frowned. He could fix her. He would fix her. He needed to. The pack distinctly began to normalize their behavior around their pack mate and his damaged mate. Sam continued on with his meeting and Paul was vaguely aware of the things being sad as he stared down at the little girl.

Paul placed himself at the bottom of the couch without getting on it and placed his head on Bella's thigh and leaned his body on the couch so that he could rest. Bella felt at peace again the dream of being swallowed by a black holes dissipated and Bella dreamed she was laying in the forest floor of Forks staring up at the rust, golden and orange trees falling off the trees waiting to be born again.


	4. Chapter 4

Bella woke up to the sun streaming through the ruined window in the Uley home. She was vaguely aware of how she had gotten there. The ginger light flooded her senses, she forced her eyes shut again in attempt to recall the prior events that had occurred to end her up on the couch. Her arms and legs let out a dull protest as she sat up to view the empty jade house around her. Where was everyone? Why was she here? Where was Jacob? Involuntarily the thoughts of Jacob flooded Bella's mind with the slapping of the waves against her body-the blissful peacefulness she had felt as Edward floated about her. Hovering over her even in death. Jacob…and _Paul_ had saved her. Instantly Bella's nostrils flared as if to obtain from the air the scent Paul carried…the autumn forest had hummed their contentment as Bella slept staring up at the skies of Forks and the colored trees. Paul had touched her, he had saved her-she could hear the echo of Jacob bellowing in her mind.

Paul walked up behind Bella; he was silent and thoughtful of her form as she lay staring at the sun shining through the Uley window. "Bella…." Paul couldn't figure out how to speak to her. Her heart stuttered in surprise and she wiped around on the couch-her hair catching in her face. The mahogany curls were a beautiful contrast to her pale skin, red plum lips, thick eyes lashes, and petite figure. Paul didn't like the sound of her heart reacting from fear because she was afraid of him. He did the only thing he knew how. He placed a huge hand on Bella's shoulder and her tenseness dispelled underneath his touch. "I didn't mean to scare you little girl". Bella could hear the edginess in Paul's deep timbre voice. It was aching and deep. Paul's voice was husky, it was like a staggering stab to Bella's back-the hairs on her neck rose. His voice was like a beautiful discord of string instruments making violent music. She briefly wondered how this man and Edward could have such different voices. Both musical.

"Paul…thank you…you know for saving me" Bella cleared her throat before she spoke. She kept her eyes trained on the window ahead of her. She was enjoying the heaviness of his hand on her shoulder. His thumb was in between the nook of her shoulder and her neck. He stroked the skin softly. Bella let out a sigh and Paul dispelled the breath he had been holding in. At least if he was going to have the imprinting bond it should be useful to keep her calm.

"Jacob asked me to keep an eye on you. You can come back to my house with me, I have some work I'd like to get done if you don't mind" Paul removed his hand from her bleached skin. The electricity in the room ignited as soon as he said his home. Bella's breath hitched. He wondered remorsefully if she was afraid of him, thinking of his hands running up and down her body, he wondered if she was fearful of him. Paul hated himself sometimes. He was man of so little words. When he had been younger he wasn't allowed to talk. Bella threw a backwards glance at him and he raised an eyebrow at her in response.

"Okay". Paul didn't want to spend any more time talking. This summer was going to be a long one for him. Summers were always easier than autumn for him. Autumn reminded him of his mother. The summer was harder to think about the misery he had endured for so many years in his life. Bella lifted her body gingerly off the couch and followed Paul out the house to his haven in LaPush. The trees in Forks were especially green and Bella wondered why this day of the summer had been so bright. She wanted autumn back. Paul smelled like autumn. She slipped on her shoes that were waiting at the door for her and shut the Uley's house door.

The trees were the color of peas today and Bella briefly wondered why it was so hot today in the summer. It was never this warm. The temperature in Forks usually never reached above 55 degrees but today a golden 70 degrees had touched the small town and the Bella felt her own skin melt underneath the scrutiny. The sun had graced her and Paul with his presence. La Push was astoundingly one of the most peaceful places of Bella's existence. She ran to keep in stride with the wolf in front of her. Paul was walking towards the forest of LaPush. Bella wondered why he lived so deeply, and far from the wolves. Paul continued to walk. He needed to get back to the cabin and finishing the furnishing. Jacob hadn't actually told Paul to keep Bella today-and neither had Sam. It was simply assumed. It was assumed that Paul knew what to do with Bella.

Bella slammed into Paul's back as he came to a sudden stop she was so wrapped in her thoughts about autumn and summer she didn't know they had arrived on a cliff. The cliff wasn't empty, a log cabin sat at the top of the cliff, the view over looked the moss masses of Forks and LaPush. Bella's own eyes watered at the beautifulness of the view-it was so green, a stream was rampant below her as she viewed the mountainous curves further out in the lands of Washington. It was so breath taking. Bella gaped at the fantasy ahead of her, she had vaguely been aware of the beauty after Edward had left she had felt like she was going to be consumed when she stared at the trees-and now? Bella simply prayed for colder, autumn like days.

Paul's house had a long porch with several rocking chairs, and a nice brown and black blanket thrown over one that out looked the view perfectly just in front of the window that gave a view into his kitchen and living room. As Bella admired the outside of the cabin she appreciated the simplicity of the house Paul lived in. Nothing like the Cullen's-the house was exquisitely beautiful. The caramel wood was logged and neatly stacked and gave the home a touch of personality. A touch of rugged beauty Bella appreciated. Paul opened the door and stepped aside to let Bella enter first. Her heart hammered as she passed his body. The temperature radiating off the man, made Bella want to engulf herself in his presence. She had spent most of her life being cold. The inside of the cabin was as beautiful as the outside. The living room opened up to the kitchen perfectly to allow the stimulating view of the rocking chair and the mountains outside. Bella was mesmerized. A stone fireplace wall stood out in the living room around the black couches that sat in the sitting area of a nice plush gray rug. The kitchen was wood and stone and she noted a hallway that led back to three more doors.

Paul was watching Bella take in his work, his creation, he felt her appreciation from her. He wanted to stare longer but Bella wiped around to look at him.

"This place is…amazing Paul". Bella bit her lip. Paul was a fairly silent man.

"Yeah I built it a few years back. There is a bedroom in the back-it is obviously mine. Feel free to rest some more, there's a bathroom attached to the bedroom." Paul moved to enter the kitchen and took out some milk. He poured a glass and placed it into Bella's hand.

"I figured you'd need something to drink and I mean I could have fixed water but I figured milk is just as healthy and you know-it taste more…like something…" Paul shrugged his shoulders and moved down the hall. Bella followed behind sipping the milk he had handed her.

"I prefer chocolate". She didn't know why she had said that, the man had saved her twice and she was telling him that she didn't like his milk. "I like coffee." Bella's cheeks flamed. She did like coffee-but she couldn't stop her mouth from moving. Paul threw a saucily glance over his shoulder. How had she known that coffee would make his mouth dry up-Bella reeked of the smell and it brought back old memories he would have rather died then reconsider the things he had been through-he had loss like coffee.

"You smell like coffee Bella". Paul didn't express anything further. Bella silently rolled the words around in her head. Was that a good thing? Paul hadn't said it with any infliction in his voice. Edward had murmured to her admiringly and told her she reeked of flowers. But to this man-to Paul she smelled like coffee. Did he like coffee? Paul opened the door to a bedroom and revealed another beautiful view through glass doors that lead to the wrap around porch with a side view of the forest terrain. He had an expose bedroom. The bed was wood just like most of the items in the home, and it was covered by a dark scarlet bedding and another gray rug. Paul's taste was impeccable. Another stone wall was marked by a fireplace and a black rocking chair in the corner. Paul turned around to face Bella. "The door on the right is the bathroom". He pointed to a door closed that was beside a huge wooden dresser set. It must have been where Paul kept his clothes.

"Thank you". Bella twisted her shirt in nerves. She could have used a shower.

"Yeah, don't mention it Bella. I have to go work. It's the second door on the left up the hall-if you need me." Paul left the room and Bella was left in this man's haven feeling out of place. Paul's place was as beautiful as he was. Bella moved to the room that held the bathroom. She was met with wood cabinets and a large tub. She splashed water on her face before she moved to Paul's bed. The bed reeked of him. Bella closed her eyes. It had become much easier for her to sleep now. She wondered vaguely why the pack had chosen Paul as her care taker-she was thankful. She was at an empty peace. She could breathe at least.

Paul began to create the demands of the furniture company he supplied in Port Angeles. He was happy to have the needed income. He didn't buy much he hadn't needed too. Emily fed him. That reminded Paul he needed to get Bella….chocolate milk and coffee. He wondered vaguely what she liked to eat. He dropped his saw and grabbed his wallet. He went to the grocery store and picked up all the things he thought a damaged girl might need. Bella was his imprint and that meant she would spend a considerable amount of time here in his home. He returned home with bags of junk, real food, and other important things he thought Bella might need one day. He could hear her sleeping in the room, her breathing was heavy and labored. He wondered for a second why she hadn't gone into a fit of pain over his absence. Paul reprimanded himself she was already hurt he didn't need to want her to want him-but he partly wondered how she could stand his leaving with the newly founded imprint and no bond to seal their deal. Bella breathed in heavy surrounding herself in the scent of Paul.

She was laying in the autumn forest again staring up at the sky, laying on her back in the piles of dead beautiful leaves. She loved autumn. Paul was autumn. An evening autumn night. She murmured his name softly in her sleep, and Paul in the other room stopped his work and closed his eyes tightly shut. He whispered her name back and continued to work.


	5. Chapter 5

Okay to the anon who reviewed-complimented me and insulted my intelligence…thanks partly. Anyway I'm righting this to let you all know I'm taking the advice given to me and I will be finding …. *dramatic pause* a Beta. I know I'm not perfect. I type these from my phone sometimes. Whenever I can… give me a break. *whiny voice* Enjoy

Bella's senses whiffed the trees of autumn as she opened her eyes. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten. Life after all, after Edward had left, had ceased to be nothing she was interested in testing, experiencing-consuming herself with. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her soft feminine hand. She pressed her face into Paul's pillow one last time for endurance. She hadn't felt so well rested in months. She hadn't felt hunger for anything other than adrenaline and death.

She had a gnawing at the back of her throat... Where was Paul? Bella shifted out the bed. She could go look for him but her footsteps faltered. She should shower. She should be presentable. After all when would she feel such consuming goodness again? Since Edward had left her she hadn't wanted to shower, to clean herself, to be presentable for anyone, not even Jake. Paul listened to her steps waver in the room down the hall. He had left the door cracked intentionally. She must have been hungry. The imprint just allowed him to know shit. It was like before he was alone in his head from his wolf unless he was fucking angry. Paul was angry most of the time, but at least when he wasn't he could have peace from the beast within. Paul now, after Bella had become his, had a constant gnawing in the back of his head fucking constantly. The wolf whispered to him. His wolf was knowledgeable about the delicate thing he had allowed into his bed. The wolf knew Bella was hungry. Paul could no longer work. He was almost finished with the desk by then. He moved out into the hallway and toward the bedroom. He opened the door to find Bella still standing there.

"Bella are you hungry? I could fix you something to eat" Paul paused as he took her in. She needed a shower. She needed a lot of things. He let out a breath. Thank the fucking gods for the fact the wolf whispered things into his ear, in his mind. He had gotten Bella things she would need. He ran a hand throw his hair, and eyed her nervously. He rested his arm behind his head gripping his neck, his shirt hiked up and in response so did Bella's breathing. She looked at the low V that was protruding from out of Paul's shirt. She licked her lips; she'd lost her voice suddenly. "I'll cook while you shower. You can borrow some of my clothes... I bought you some things at the store Bella. You've... You've had a rough year you know? I don't know what I'm saying I'll be back in a second". Bella still hadn't spoken she was looking at his hips; they were wide and sturdy they fit his body. Her whole body flushed in embarrassment. Paul was... Perfect. He stepped out the room and Bella finally felt her blush blossom on her cheeks and her stomach drain.

Where had she gotten off to think it was okay to stare at Paul so...so sexually? Bella was frozen in her spot still when Paul came back. He was nervous. He spoke so little to everyone else but with her he felt that his tongue was always moving. He handed her a towel and wash cloth first. Then he gently placed the bag of toiletries he had gotten her around her arm. Bella was watching him intently.

"Bella. You need to shower. You need to eat. I promise I'll be here when you get out. You can stare all you want then too" Paul gave her a joking smile hoping to jolt her into action. Bella's eyes widened in shock before she wiped her body around and ran in the bathroom and slammed the door with a thud. Bella was mortified. She was ogling Jake's pack brother. Paul. The womanizer. Temperamental asshole. Dangerous and violent. Paul. She stripped her clothes off and stood in his mirror as the water in the tub ran. She looked at her breast, they didn't quite fit her body any longer. She wasn't big breasted but she wasn't a B cup either. Her waist had withered away. Her hips were daunting and her bones protruded from her skin. She was disgusted. She had to do better, gain more weight. She would. Bella tried not to spend her time thinking of why suddenly she wanted to look full, womanly. The man was simply in the kitchen, within earshot and smell.

Paul could feel it again the whispering at the back of his neck. He needed to cook Bella a lot of food. She needed to put on weight. Paul knew-the whole fucking town knew Bella needed to put on weight but he couldn't figure out why his wolf was scrapping at his brain to make more food. Bella didn't fucking eat-how would he convince her. He felt like that guy from that popular fictional story his therapist as a child had tried to get him to read. Where the guy's head had another head on the back telling him to do things-making him act. Except Paul's wolf was dominant. Leering. Stalking. Paul wanted to rip off his own skin. He continued to bread the chicken he'd clean so he could fry it while the rice, bread and vegetables cooked.

Bella let the shower water run over her body. Paul had gotten her everything. Razors. Shampoo. Soap. As if he'd known she'd wake up and realize she was disgusting. Maybe he thought she was disgusting too? Bella's stomach dropped.

Bella noted the shampoo was Suave with a Moroccan Oil label. It was supposed to help dead hair. Paul had literally bought her life kit. She felt better clean. Her hair didn't look so dry and she didn't feel so disgusting. She placed the bag in one of the bathroom drawers, dried off, and grabbed the clothes Paul had set out for her. It was a long t shirt and his sweat pants. Bella contemplated for a while and decided to forgo the sweatpants. That's the last thing she needed was to trip over her own feet. She could smell the sensational fried chicken from the kitchen. She twisted her hair in a bun and moved out to join Paul.

Paul turned and smiled at her as he placed the plate on his island in front of a bar stool. Bella hopped up and offered a tentative smile before she indulged herself. The food was amazing. Seasoned and well cooked. She eyes him curiously.

"Where is everyone?" Bella was devouring the plate Paul had placed in front of her.

"Pack business to attend to. We've been having some run in with a vampire. Not a Cullen" Paul watched her. The grease on her fingers because she ignored the fork he had placed in front of her. It was enduring. She was in nothing but his shirt and he had barely held on to the groan that almost slipped from his lips when he saw her like that. And here she sat in front of him licking her fingers clean with sensational pops at the end. She looked up at him wide eyed when he had mentioned her former family. He could feel it in the right side of his chest.

Bella was upset. Paul felt like he had two hearts. One on the left and right. Like the whispering, he could feel the stabs of pain in his chest-because they were her's which made them his. He wanted to make it better. It was the only thing he could do.

"Bella I'm sorry they left you. I know losing the people you love hurts. But you can't hurt the people you love by forcing them to lose you. I know you loved him Bella but you've got to realize other people love you too." Bella almost choked on her food. Her heart burst from her chest. Her appetite had been effectively ruined. Paul had spoken without the harsh tones he had in their previous relationship. He was trying to be helpful. Bella was broken, unfixable. He was wasting his breathe. Paul sighed out-loud and leaned away from the island in between him and Bella.

"Bella I'm sorry. I don't meant to upset you. I'm trying to help you" Bella looked away from him then. She wanted to cry. Paul moved instantly-as the tear slipped down her face. He was in front of her, in between her legs. He pulled her towards him roughly and ran circles up and down he back. While she sobbed. The wailing filled the cabin. Paul bit back his own emotions-he'd never cried.

"I'm sorry Paul. It's just so hard. I love him so much. They were my family". Bella felt the ripple of flames expand from her lungs into her heart at _his_ mentioning. Her breathing rhythm rigged and she was spiraling towards the old darkness.

"Charlie. Charlie is your family Bella. The pack-were your family too. I know all about loss Bella. ". Paul's eyes illuminated why the hell had he opened that womb? Paul wanted to shred his skin again for the millionth time during the day. He did know all about loss.

"I'm sorry Paul" the tears Bella had spewed had dried up. And she was craning her neck to look at him. His eyes dimmed and went back to their intense brown.

"We all lose something. Some of us more than others. Edward-" Paul's eyes illuminated again "isn't your family and his role in your life is replaceable little girl". The tenor of little girl left Bella opened mouth looking at him. Paul's wolf hummed in appreciation. "Charlie, Isabella he's irreplaceable". Bella's breathing became jagged. She averted her eyes from Paul.

She hadn't considered the loss of her father. She was always stuck on the Cullen mantra. She wanted to be better than herself bigger than herself. Larger than life. And now without Edward the pain of longing for a love everlasting and unwavering reminisced in her soul.

"You must think I'm stupid". Paul had never minded telling Bella she was stupid-but now Pail was nice.

"I don't think you're stupid Bella. I think you're reckless and to selfless sometimes, and a selfish brat during the others. You're too young to fathom the amount of pain in a lifetime. Edward is not the end to all Bella" Paul's usual gruffness was back in his voice. Bella felt an emotion rising so pitifully she felt like the food she had eaten would explode from her mouth onto Paul. It was shame. She was ashamed that she hadn't thought of her father. Paul had never moved away from his mate as she worked through the meaning of his words. "That's what you should do Bella. Make time with your father and I'm sure you'll remember that he's blood-he held you when you came out the womb. That tick sucking Doctor isn't your father Bella. He didn't bring you into this world. You aren't half him genetically. You're Charlie's and I'm sure he'd appreciate having you back".

Paul hated talking so damn much, but she needed it. She needed her father. She needed to remember there was life beyond the Cullen's. Paul placed one last rub on her back before he pulled himself out of her arms.

"Yeah I should do that"... Bella watched him grab her plate, rake it and place it in the black dishwasher. Paul was so tall and dark compared to her. She wondered again how the pack had divided up their babysitting duties and decided it should be Paul. She knew he was rough around the edges, a loyal wolf, a dominant man and a pack mate of few words. He could be harsh, explosively mad, and stunningly calm within seconds of each other. Jacob had mentioned to her once that Paul was angry more so than the others.

"I gotta continue to work little girl. You can come watch". Paul threw a look over his shoulder. She was in nothing but his t-shirt he didn't need her in the bedroom. Bella eased her way off the stool and shuffled following Paul down the hallway in a room she'd never seen. Bella saw a room covered with plaster over blue walls. The room was as large as the bedroom and Bella could see why he'd need so much space. He had wood everywhere. Shades of wood stacked on the wall. Tools lying around and in the middle, a large table that looked like a work place. Paul built things.

"You built the house right?"

"Yeah".

"It's nice. You're...talented". Bella blushed in embarrassment at the lack of her sophisticated language to compliment Paul. He inclined his head in acknowledge and began to saw into a piece of wood that was on the table. Bella watched Paul work. There was one sofa in the corner of the room and Bella placed herself in it so he could focus. Paul was distracted. This woman had ordered a fairly contemporary piece of wood to slide couches into to create a booth shape.

Bella watched him work until her eyes became heavy. She wanted to sleep. Submerge herself in the autumn weather of her dreams. Paul looked up as her eyes closed. He continued to shape up the oak wood on his table. Bella began to murmur in her sleep again. Paul listened to her intently recall the colors of the trees, the smell of the wind, and the beauty of the skies. He hated autumn and she loved it. How odd. Bella continued to relax in the forest enjoying autumn breezes. The wind played with her. Teased her. Prodded her. She enjoyed the reminder of her newly acclaimed wolf savior.

Paul was almost finished when he heard them. A chorus of howls erupted in the sunset sky. It was late afternoon-the pack was riled up. Panting. Clawing and ramping up to his cabin. Something was wrong. Paul had slipped off his shirt as he worked and sweat began to pool at the back of his neck. They were phasing back. The door flew open and Paul rose to meet his brothers. He looked over to Bella's sleeping figure and touched her cheek. Bella moved into his touch. She whispered his name again in pleasure. Paul wanted to continue their intimacy but she needed to wake up. Pack business. And she was the closest to vampires after all.

"Bell-a. We've got company". Paul rubbed her cheek gently and her eyes heaved open. He hated she hadn't slept enough. She would need more food again during the meeting. "Something is wrong. Come with me". Paul pulled her gingerly to her feet and pulled down the shirt to cover her thighs more; he moved to meet the pack.

Rambunctious. There was an electric humming wavering through the whole room. Jacob and Sam had positioned themselves at the head of the room by the fireplace. And the pack had silently surrounded themselves to meet the eyes of their leader. Paul moved to the other side of the room with Bella behind him and opened the cabinets to find her a snack. He settled on the kettle popcorn and slide the bag her way. She watched the pack curiously and opened the bag.

"We tracked the tick all the way to Forks. She's headed for something and she's persistent", Sam spoke. His eyes flickered Amber and the pack responded with equally golden eyes. Jared lifted his upper lip to reveal sharpened teeth and let a throaty gust of snarls. Bella watched in fascination. Her eyes dared waver to the figure closest to her, Paul. He was looking at Sam with his own archer eyes and Bella felt aroused. He was aroused. Awake with a blistering rage and hatred. His body shook characteristically and his eyes previously glued to Sam locked on Bella.

There it was again Bella released a gush of her scent as Paul locked eyes with her. Paul's nostrils flared and Bella's eyes widened. Why hadn't she thought of that? He could smell that. He cocked his head to the side and a blistering set of pearly white teeth peeped through his round lips. He was smiling at her. Not a galled gibe, sarcastic smirk or a twitch of his lip. His mouth had parted and she'd been graced with the sun. Paul was beautiful, another involuntary whiff of coffee hit the pack. Paul wanted to devour her suddenly. His wolf twisted violently in his head. He _could_ devour her. She'd let him.

"That bitch keeps slipping from our grasp, I want her head on a fucking stick. Tighten up boys were going to increase patrols" Sam grunted his command to the pack and moved to the kitchen to face the newest imprint of the pack. "Bella... This tick... She has red eyes she's no friend of the Cullen's. She's violent. She's quick and she's dangerous". Bella forced her eyes to shift left to the alpha.

"I... I ...ahhh I can't speak for the Cullens. I'm not... I don't-" Bella lacked the clever way to acknowledge she wasn't family to them anymore. But oh how she wanted to be.

"You're pack Bella" Paul's voice pulled her away from the billowing emotional self-loathing that blossomed in her chest. It pumped through her veins and at his timbre the flow stopped cold in its tracks. She met his eyes for a second time -human eyes. Again she wondered vaguely why... Why Paul?

The pack murmured assurances and shifted to image Sam-they faced Bella with earnest faces. Bella felt her cheeks flame with embarrassment.

"When we catch that fucker I'm going to sink my teeth in her god damn face" Embry gloated flashing Bella a toothy grin. He dispelled the intensity in the room and the pack noticeably relaxed.

"Paul I need to talk to you later tonight... Emily is making dinner tonight. I'll see you both at 7" Sam threw a meaningful glance towards Paul. He didn't acknowledge it and folded up the remaining popcorn left in the bag- Bella had eaten a lot. Paul made a mental note to himself. Bella liked popcorn-the sweet kind. Popcorn and coffee. The pack, excited piled through Paul's wood door in a hurry. Food was a great incentive for quick action around them.

"We can go to Emily's in a second... I need to take a shower. And you...little girl need to put on pants" Paul lifted a perfect thick eyebrow at Bella. She nodded her understanding and moved off the bar stool. She had intended to at least but her foot got caught on the hop down and she fell forward. Paul flashed in the nick of time to prevent her from smashing her face but he couldn't avoid the caught ankle in the bar stool twisting unnaturally. Tears sprung to Bella's eyes. "Bella. God you gotta be more careful. I'll get you some ice. We can raise it on a pillow". Paul swept Bella up bridal style and carried her to his bedroom. He placed her ankle on a pillow and moved back to the kitchen to make an ice pack.

Bella laid back and grabbed his other pillow to her chest and face. She inhaled the scent ...once...twice... And a third time before she slipped into sleep. His scent soothed her. She hadn't slept this much since September-before he'd left her padding through the forest to chase him. Paul could hear her breathing change next door. His shoulders deflated and he braced his arms, palms down, against the granite counter top. He was in over his head. He had never had to care for someone. He had never cared so deeply-not in a long time-about another person. The imprint pressed on his chest. His neck tensed and his heart accelerated. The wolf's presence pronounced itself in his mind with a thundering depiction of a healthy, heavy, happy Bella. _Mine_. Paul had to agree.


	6. Chapter 6

Bella sat in her bed after dinner with the pack, she had wedged herself between Jacob and Quil in wariness of Paul. He was a towering entity-he had somehow shifted into Jacob's role. A more honest, intimidating, and attractive Jacob. The school year without Edward had ruined her. Bella sat in the dark awhile before she realized the sleeping earlier at Paul's house was temporary. She wouldn't be sleeping in her bed.

Good for Charlie-he ached every time his daughter screamed. Nothing was more terrifying then hearing her scream-scream as if she was being murdered. His hairs would raise on the back of his neck. He loved Bella. She was his little girl. Bella was a part of him. Like an affectionate memory- she was a reminder of constant responsibility and over-powering love. His one and only child. His one and only great contribution to the world. Bella laid back and stared at her ceiling counting the poppy material until she could see the sun rising up through her window.

Paul sat in his kitchen at 5:36am and made coffee. He had an itch in his chest that had urged him to brew the distant memory of his mother. He wanted to rip his skin open again and sink his nails into his chest and rake until the itch stopped. He didn't know why he was making coffee. Not until he heard the rumbling of a truck coming up to LaPush. Bella was 7 miles out headed towards his house. He had slept the night before scenting coffee because she had rolled all over his damn sheets. He was partly angered and relieved. Thank the fucking gods that he had gotten deep sleep-but he had woken up with a raging hard on that hadn't gone away. His sweat pants fit snug. Bella was coming up the hill to his house now. He listened to her slam the door and swing her bag over her frail body. She had brought things...

Bella paused at the door... What if he couldn't understand why she was here again? What if he turned her away? She fucking needed it. She needed the autumn dreams. She needed his presence there. She was going crazy all night with tiredness and he was like a healthy size of morphine and NightQuil. She almost turned around but instead she flung the door open and stepped inside. Paul was already waiting for her. He had sat a cup of coffee across from him on the island at her bar stool. Bella trudged forward through the living room to reach the kitchen. She dropped her bag on the floor and hopped up on the bar stool and lifted the coffee to her lips. She had needed this.

Paul turned his back on her and opened the refrigerator. He could make her breakfast at least. He had to run patrol in a few hours. He reached for the bacon and eggs. Bella observed him silently. She was hungry and at peace. Emotions that had evaded her all year until this summer- before Paul. Paul began to cook and Bella continued to watch. She wondered vaguely why she had come here instead of Jake's. Shouldn't she sleep better with him around? Instead it was Paul she wanted to surround herself with-or rather his scent. She slept in it and dreamed of it.

"Good morning Bella. You should eat before you sleep" Paul placed two sandwiches in front of her. He had cooked eggs and bacon, toasted bread and placed jelly on the sandwich for her. She looked down at the plate. "You're... you're welcomed here anytime you need Bella. I don't mind you being here". Paul was beginning to get why the wolves imprinted.

Bella lifted the sandwich and ate as she continued to watch Paul. "You don't like coffee?"

"I use too..." Paul washed the dishes he'd used with his back to Bella. "My...my mother made coffee all the time- I can't stand it anymore ever since she died". Paul's hand shook. She needed his experience. It was just so fucking hard for him to admit and voice out loud. He hadn't fucking talked about it ever really. Not like he should have.

Bella's chest lurched and she moved the coffee mug away from her hand. She suddenly regretted liking it so much. She had upset him. She could see his hands shaking. Paul wasn't angry. He was hurting. He was afraid for the first time in a long time. He'd always been afraid back then when he was a child. He turned around when he heard he coffee mug scrap against the counter top from Bella shoving it away. He moved over the island to her side and grabbed the mug. He hadn't tasted coffee in a while. Bella watched him drink it. She memorized the place he had put his lips on her mug-she wanted to mold her lips over the same exact spot. She wasn't sure why or what it was about him.

Paul didn't break eye contact with her as he placed the mug in her hands. She lifted it accordingly and drunk her coffee. She wanted to lick her tongue where his lips had been. She held back the urge because he was watching her so intently. "You know Bella talking about things is good for me. There's a lot I use to love that I gave up. I loss people I loved and I haven't been the same since. I've had no one to talk to... But I can talk to you Bella... I can talk to you".

"You can talk to me..." Bella whispered. Paul hadn't been asking but she answered anyway. She wanted him to talk to her... She wanted to talk to him. She wanted to tell someone-no him that she was broken inside, she wanted to die; she wanted to disappear from the face of the Earth to rid herself of _Edward_. "I like this... I like your breakfast. I like your coffee". Bella couldn't understand why she had said that instead.

"Good. You can have it every day if you'd like Bella." Paul moved back across from her.

"I want to die almost all the time. I want to let myself die and I want to let myself be taken... I want to let it happen to me" Bella blurted out. Paul stilled instantly. She had revealed a lot at once. She hadn't told anyone that Victoria was after her. Laurent had confessed to her that day in the forest when she was searching for the meadow. Paul didn't know that's what she had meant-she would sacrifice herself to the vampire that was threatening their territory; Paul held his breathe. The wolf and him battled with opposing reactions to her words. He settled on the man's reaction.

"When don't you want to die Bella?"

"When I here at LaPush. When I'm with the pack. When...when I'm with you" Bella felt a vague warm emotion flush through her suddenly. She couldn't place it-the emotion was admiration. Paul hadn't scolded her, Paul hadn't mocked her, and Paul hadn't told her she wasn't within reason.

"Come more often then." Bella finished the sandwiches he had made her. Paul's hands flashed out and snatched the plate away to wash it. Bella felt lazy-she might be a guest but she felt like she was taking advantage of his kindness. The thought almost stunned her. Paul and kindness were words that she never thought she'd think of together. Paul finished taking care of the kitchen and made a mental note to cook her lunch before he left to patrol. Bella was heavy from the food and she wanted to rest. They moved like a song. As she lifted herself off the stool to go to the bedroom. Paul crossed the kitchen to go down the hallway. Ladies first-Bella let herself into the bedroom. The bed wasn't made-she slid in the covers imagining that it was the exact spot he had slept hours earlier. Paul watched her settle in the bed and moved to the bathroom. He needed to shower-though the presence of Bella in his bed was distracting again.

Bella kissed the autumn dream hello.

Paul showered and ignored the urge to touch himself to the thoughts of Bella. It wasn't right-she wasn't ready. He knew she felt the attraction to him. After all Paul could smell her becoming aroused when she looked at him. He just couldn't place his finger on why he believed she wasn't ready for him to show his own physical attraction to her. He knew if he touched himself to the thoughts of his imprint his-his moans would stir Bella. And while Bella would be aroused she would be terrified and would avoid him for a few days. She needed rest and to eat those were things only he could help her do. He ignored the growing painfulness of blue balls and let the water run icy cold.

Paul understood that Bella was beyond a simple attraction to him-he shared his mind, body and spirit with a wolf. He needed a mate-someone that matched _every_ part of him. The wolves needed someone for them too. They needed to have someone capable of matching the man and wolf to maintain balance and harmony. The itching-the urges he felt were all from the wolf helping him figure out how to help her. Paul was just a man. He couldn't possible know what she was needing without her voicing it-no man could. But his other half, the wolf, the animal in him could read Bella's body language. The wolf could smell and hear Bella far greater than the man. That's what helped him be more than a- husband. He could be a protector, he could be a best friend and he could be a fixer. Bella was _his_ to solve. She was capable of healing-he just needed to help her. She was matched for him. Maybe it was the soft innocence she had that was good for Paul. Or maybe it was her loving accepting nature that was unlike Paul's skepticism. It didn't matter to him what she did for him-it was what he could do for her. He could prove himself by being what she needed.

Paul fixed Bella some instant pasta after he had finished showering. He wanted to make sure she had very little to worry about. He hated her had to leave her. He needed to patrol there was a leech running loose after something. He wanted to end the threat. He felt a great need for some unknown reason. He moved back into the room to tell Bella goodbye. He thought of leaving a note but instead he opted to tell her goodbye- to touch her before he left.

"Bella I have to go patrol. I left you lunch in the kitchen. Feel free to help yourself to anything it's whatever you want" Paul caressed her cheek and her eyes fluttered open. He wanted so badly to kiss her. He knew it was too soon but he wanted her. Bella rolled her head underneath his hand and placed a kiss on his palm that had gentle encompassed her cheek.

"Good night" Bella was vaguely aware of what he had said. Paul chortled softly at her antics; she was cute. He leaned down and kissed her forehead-she pressed into his lips. A sleepy smile glossed over her face. When Paul was outside naked that was the last image on his mind as his paws hit the ground.

Bella woke up much later. The weather was its normal summer gloom. The skies were gray and the trees emerald. She showered. She had brought her toothbrush and some clothes. Instead she shifted through Paul's things until she found a shirt she liked. She slipped into it and her leggings she had brought. The kitchen was empty without him there. She rummaged through until she opened the fridge to find pasta made. The memory of his voice in her sleep was triggered by the delectable smell of shrimp pasta. God he was an amazing cook. Bella opened the freezer and noticed wings. He had told her to eat. She fixed them while she reheated the shrimp on the stove.

The time on the oven had told her it was 3:43pm. She had slept 9 hours. She felt it. Her body felt good. She felt good. She was prepared for Paul's absence-she had brought a new book along with her _Nightmare Abby_. She ate and read. She didn't feel so plagued at Paul's house. She wondered if it was because she had no memories to mock her here. Or it could be Paul's amazing scent. Bella enjoyed reading in his bed. She advanced well into the novel until she noticed the sun setting in the background. Paul has cooked for her but she hadn't cook for him. She decide she should return the favor and treat Paul-her friend, to a meal. Bella moved her hair to a bun and began to whip up food for her and the older wolf. She spent her time making the meal hoping he'd like it.

Hours later she began to feel intensely antsy. Before she could even ask herself why the front door thundered open. Bella gasp and whipped around. Paul was in the door. He was soaking wet. When had it began to rain? He was furious. Paul's lip was half lifted in a grimace. His shoulders and chest were rising and falling rapidly. His fist were clenched and his eyes were the worst part. Bella had seen them golden and beautiful, but she had never seen them golden and pissed. Suddenly golden didn't seem like a good description of his eyes. They were fire orange yellow. And his eyes were locked on her. Bella dropped the spoon that was in her hand coated with cake batter.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU FUCKING TELL ME ISABELLA?" Paul slapped a hole through his own door. Bella misplaced the anger for a second. Why was he so angry? Because she had cooked? Because she had secret growing affectionate feelings for him? Why was he so ...wrathful? "THAT BITCH WAS THIS CLOSE TO YOUR HOUSE TODAY" Paul pinched his fingers together leaving little space in between. "SHE MOTHERFUCKING TURNED AROUND AND GUESS WHERE SHE WAS HEADED BELLA?"

Bella had fucked up. She hadn't told any of the wolves about Victoria. But she also hadn't pieced together that the vampire they were hunting was actually her. Bella felt stupid. She felt naïve. She felt like her chest was going to drop out of her fucking ass. She was so motherfucking stupid for keeping it from him. She felt all the air leave her lungs. She couldn't speak. Why the fuck hadn't she just told the wolves right out that she knew there was a vampire someone hunting her? She had assumed Victoria was only counting her days until she tortured her to death.

Paul was filled from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet with rage. She had fucking kept this from all of them. From him. Today he had been patrolling and caught a whiff of leech headed towards Forks. He had fucking known. The fucking imprinting had let him know. His wolf had gone ballistic when it had realized where she was headed...towards his soul-mates home. _He_ had gone ballistic. He had fucking clawed the hell out of the leech's leg. He had yanked a chunk of her porcelain granite skin from her calve and he had taunted her with it. She of course backed off when he had gained ground-but he knew she would be back.

"Guess where Bella?" His voice had gone still and frigid.

"LaPush..." Bella's voice wavered. She felt something at the back of her throat. She couldn't control it. Something was filling her lungs and she felt like she was drowning. Paul was mad at her. "I wanted to die Paul. I WANTED TO DIE. I didn't... I didn't want you guys to stop her. I wanted her to put me out of my misery..." That was it. The truth had suffocated her. She tried to resist the urge to tell him what she had felt because she didn't want to cry. She couldn't lie and she couldn't stop herself from crying.

"You. Are. So. Fucked. Up. You let the pack risk themselves because we didn't know what she was after. You risked your father. You risked the town. You risked YOURSELF BELLA" of course he couldn't keep the last part calm. He had begun moving towards her. He had corned her in the kitchen between himself and the countertop beside the stove. She was looking at him with tears streaming down her face. She was sad. She was miserable. He was mad. What could he do for her? He wasn't just mad. But his wolf was furious. He couldn't feel an itch to fix her pain-because she needed to be taught no matter how selfless she was-someone would get hurt because of her recklessness.

"I love him so much. I LOVE him. I don't want to be here" Bella sobbed. She was so upset with herself suddenly. She couldn't lie to Paul. Paul's own heart cut into two at the present tense of the words. Of course she loved him still. Paul was nothing and he would never be. In his own fury his hands came down in anger on either side of her and he slapped against the hot stove top. He branded his hand. He'd burned it badly because he felt it. He gasped and pulled his hand back. Bella watched him move away towards the bedroom. He had hurt himself. She had hurt him. She had upset him so much that he had burned himself. She was so disappointed in herself. She had made him do that. Bella ran after him as he entered the bedroom. He yanked off the sweat pants and Bella ignored his nudity. He moved in the bathroom and switched the shower on with his good hand. His burned hand was still clutched to his chest. Bella waited at the door as he stepped in the water. Paul wouldn't look at her. Bella wanted to help. She needed to help but she didn't know how.

"I don't want to die as much anymore, I'm sorry Paul" Bella murmured at him. He still wouldn't acknowledge her. She knew he needed her right now-she needed him. She moved to take off her shirt and slip off her leggings. Paul didn't look up until she was in front of him in the shower naked. His hand had begun to heal but the blistering hurt badly even for him. Bella had no idea what possessed her to join this man in the shower but she did. And she pushed herself into his chest until he couldn't ignore her any longer. Paul moved back. She was so close and naked. Bella's lip trembled. "Oh god I don't know why I did this. Am I ... Oh god I probably disgust you". She moved to get out but Paul gripped her arm.

"Bella... You don't disgust me. It's the opposite. You aren't ready for... I don't know if I can control myself" Paul stepped closer to her until their chest were almost touching he could no longer see her face from this angle. "You can't let yourself die Bella. It would devastate the pack. It would destroy your father... And ...and it would _end me_ ".

Bella didn't fully understand what was happening between her and Paul. He was so warm even in the shower with the water head spraying directly on her back. She was naked. He was naked. They needed it. She knew they needed it. She pressed her hard nipples against his stomach. And wrapped her arms around him. Paul returned the favor and wrapped his arms around her. They stayed that way, holding each other naked. _They both needed it._


	7. Chapter 7

Bella sat in his room for a while after he had forced her out the shower when the water had began to run icy cold. Bella had protested, but Paul ignored her mumbles about him being warm enough that it didn't matter. He had to return to the pack anyway. His rage had forced him back to the house. Phasing was one of the most painful things he experienced. His body had rippled, cracked and groaned against the phase to see Bella.

He-Paul the man- had needed to see her mahogany curls caressing her mid back, He had needed to see her small frame in his home waiting for his return, He needed to see her eyes when he poured his own soul's aching rage out. She had risked her own fucking life to save who? To benefit who? She had made these decisions without thinking through her own self-hatred and pity because of another fucking man. No matter the man was Paul's arch enemy. Edward above all else had Bella's love-vampire or not.

Paul had never experienced the selflessness, the forgiving nature, or the purity of love. Not ever in his life. Yet he felt nothing but rage at Edward, not because he had forced him into a life of darkness and descent to hell, but because he had possessed the one thing that kept Paul intact these days. He had possessed Bella's heart. A place Paul felt like he would never reach. She was beyond his reach-she was still Edward's.

Bella considered the circumstances that she and Paul had entered into. She didn't feel so sick and weak in his home. She didn't feel so heartbroken and dead when she was with him. She wanted nothing more than to bask in the contentment he seemed to give her. Bella was beginning to wonder if maybe she needed Paul for truly more than companionship. Jacob was her friend. She loved Jacob. But Jacob didn't cast her demons away into the darkness. Jacob couldn't pull her from the darkness that had consumed her. She was irrevocably broken. A fragile useless flesh with no intended purpose on this Earth. She caused everyone nothing but worry and unnecessary difficulties. She didn't understand why Paul had been so angry-he had only distinctly mentioned her death would affect him. What had he said? It would end him. Paul would be ended if something happened to her. She felt her own lungs swell with gratitude.

He left once he was dressed and hadn't spoken a word while doing so. Bella felt hollow. She didn't realize that she had cost the pack so much by trying to protect them. Was she incapable of protecting the pack because she was a mere human being? After all, what did she have? No venom coursing through her veins. She had no shifting abilities. She was simply herself. She contemplated longer.

Why couldn't she protect the pack? She had the best intentions to save them to prevent them from standing against Victoria. Someone could be killed trying to protect her. That was unacceptable. What had she done wrong? She just wanted to protect them… she omitted dire information about a vampire. Information that could save her father's life. She was foolish. She shouldn't have kept anything from Paul. Bella wasn't a good liar. She always tried to avoid lying and hated when Edward kept information from her. It made her feel as if the world was catastrophically continuing around her. The people she loved most were battling a fight, an enemy, an evil and she had no idea. It was so painful for her to bear. The pack kept nothing from her. The pack was honest with her always. Why hadn't she just told him what was happening in her life? After all she had inserted herself in his. The sun was beginning to rise. Paul hadn't returned yet and she could not sleep.

Like clockwork the front door opened. Bella didn't move. She braced herself. She felt a vague rise of heat in her neck. Her hands began to tremble ever slightly and her heart thundered. Paul's presence was outside the door. She wondered vaguely why she felt this way.

"Bella why are you still awake?" Paul stepped in the doorway shirtless and bruised. Bella gasped in shock. Dark royal purple blotches were marked all over his chest. One traced along the beginning of his heart down his side inside his sweatpants. Like a long dark purple cloud underneath his skin.

Bella felt her hands tremble greater than usual. On his other side there was a large welt on his skin. The scar was old but she could tell it had been stitched up - after all she had been in and out the ER all her life. The puffiness was from the closing and dissolving of stitches.

"Paul..." Bella's words got caught in her throat.

"I needed to calm down. Don't worry, the forest swallowed most of the damage. I let this happen." There it was again - his brutal honesty.

"Edward can read minds, Alice can see the future, and Jasper can control emotions. Sometimes vampires acquire gifts from exceptional traits as their human selves. I thought not telling the pack about Victoria would save them from putting themselves in danger for a life that isn't worth anything. I couldn't bear losing any of you. I wanted to die most of the year since he left. I didn't mean to hurt anyone with omitting the truth. I was trying to protect you Paul. I wanted to protect you. I didn't mean for that to happen."

There. Bella had found the words she had lost at the sight of his bruised skin. Paul stared at her in silence before grabbing a shirt and walking over to the glass doors that led to the wrap around porch. Bella waited a second longer before she realized that he wanted her to follow him. He had walked around to the front of the house. Her truck sat in the light of a bright moon that looked like it sat as the backdrop to the mountains. The moonlight might have swallowed the whole town from this view. He was sitting on a porch stair looking ahead. Beautiful.

"My father beat my mother and my sister to death. We were having a normal family dinner without him. We were fine without him Bella. But when he came home from the hookers, the drugs and the alcohol made him violent. My mother always took the most of it until I was 8. I couldn't let her go through that anymore, not alone. So I was his new puppet. He beat the hell out of me daily until I was 12. He was so angry that day. He was angry because dinner wasn't ready. The meth was melting his brain. I wasn't home. I left earlier that day because I wanted to go hang out and be a kid. I went to play soccer with the guys. My mom practically pushed me out the fucking door Bella. I should have come back when it got dark. Instead I stayed and had fun."

"I remember those moments so well. How happy I was when I was playing with the guys. I was so fucking happy on the beach. I was kicking around a ball and horse-playing with Sam. I never fucking got to do that. That's the worst part Bella. I was horse-playing and my family was dying. He was beating them to death and I was rolling in the moonlight with my brothers. I failed my Mom Bella. My little sister- she never even made it into this world at the hands of the man who created her."

"When I got back to the house it was so quiet Bella. Silent. He had knocked her unconscious and she was bleeding all over the damn floor. She was bleeding all over the floor. When I got to her body she was barely holding on Bella. She wasn't ready to die. She was pregnant. And he knew it. It wasn't enough, he didn't love us. He didn't love my mom. She was kind. She was amazing, and he couldn't love her. And my sister, an angel, she wasn't even in this world fully and he couldn't love her. The daughter he never met. He murdered her with his bare hands."

"Bella that night I lost everything I loved. They died in my arms. I let them die in my arms and I regret it Bella. I regretted not following them to death. Someone called the police, your father came and put my family in a bag. And I went into foster care. I lost them that night. And my father disappeared. Not for long though. I ran away when I was 15 years old and I went back to the house. The house that started it all. And he was there Bella. When they cleared out the house he used it to hide out sometimes. Bouncing place to place until we met. I killed him Bella. I phased that day."

Bella felt her own heart lurch in accord. She hadn't expected him to tell her the story of his life. She had expected Paul had been through so much pain. He was stripped of his family and killed the one person he had left in a twisted tale of tragedies. Bella couldn't stop herself from shaking, sobs racking through her body. She couldn't see him clearly anymore. Just his silhouette and the moonlight - the tears blurred her vision.

"I lost my family Bella. I ripped my father apart with my own fucking hands. My nails ripped right through his jugular and his neck. I suspect that's why my wolf is as violent as the man. The moment we met we destined ourselves as murders." Paul stood up then. The moon was so bright. His own throat was closing up. He had killed the only family he had left and had murdered the person who had taken away his mother and sister all at once. He had murdered his father. That was the worst part of all.

He hated his father. He had taken everything good from Paul. Despite his actions Paul couldn't forgive himself for murdering him. Paul didn't want to be a killer, but he had done nothing but cause him the deepest pain imaginable. His mother had always told him that his father was a good man down the Devil's path. He hadn't always been evil. He had loved his family once. Paul recalled one memory where he truly could remember that his father loved him. A good day in the midst of chaos . Paul had learned to catch a ball with his father. He remembered his father's voice saying "I love you Paul."

He remembered it as brightly as the look on the man's face when Paul had morphed into a beast and ended his life. His eyes were wide. His mouth was in a firm line and his heartbeat was steady. He wasn't afraid to die, and that haunted Paul the most. Paul's father had somehow accepted the fact he was bound for hell. Paul hated looking in the mirror. His reflection resembled his father in so many ways.

Paul forced himself into the present and considered the moon one moment longer as he prepared to cast Bella away.

"I let them die in my arms Bella. I killed my father. I'll be damned if I let you die in my arms Bella. I'll be damned if I watch you die. I can't lose the one person I have left. I won't lose you Bella. You're all I have. You're all I need. You can't leave" Bella's footsteps toward him faltered.

"P-p-Paul." Bella's voice cracked with emotion. He had said that he couldn't lose her. He had said that she was all he needed and that he... Considered her... Considered her family. Paul needed her to understand. He couldn't explain the imprint to her. She needed to talk to someone else about it. Paul felt an itch urge his legs forward to catch Bella in the nick of time as she collapsed with emotion. He could smell the tears. Scents of coffee hit him again and his own emotional stability imbalanced.

"I've imprinted on you Bella." Paul rocked her soothingly over and over again as she cried. She had told him the truth and he couldn't help but return the favor. Bella registered the words he spoke and considered the conversation her and Jacob had earlier that summer.

 _It's not like love at first sight, really. It's more like...gravity moves. When you see her, suddenly it's not the earth holding you here anymore. She does. And nothing matters more than her. And you would do anything for her, be anything for her...You become whatever she needs you to be, whether that's a protector, or a lover, or a friend, or a brother._

"You imprinted on... On me?" Paul was linked to her by the soul? When he looked at her did he see all the things Jacob described? Did she shift his gravity? Did she make the pain of his family bearable? Did she give him a reason to no longer wish he had been home that night? He'd do anything for her. "Paul I need to go!" Bella wrenched herself from his grasp. She threw herself down the stairs of his house.

Paul watched her. He couldn't force himself on her. He couldn't force her acceptance of the imprint. He couldn't force her to love him-\, but he could force her to live. He didn't need her love. He could live without it. He needed her life. He needed her alive above all else. He couldn't be a lover or a mate. But he could be her family. It was the one piece in her that was missing. Edward held so tightly onto her heart that Paul would never be able to reach her fully. He watched her rush to her truck wildly. She was stumbling forward lurching the car door open. He had put the keys in the ignition before he had come in. Paul knew Bella. He knew her. And she needed family. That was all she wanted in her life, Edward was her end all. She couldn't accept his love. And he knew it.

Bella hadn't returned to LaPush in 9 days. A week and two days had gone by since she had been with Paul that night. She had been spending her time on the couch. Except for Sunday when she went fishing with Charlie. Charlie had been delighted that his daughter wanted to spend time with him. She looked bad still. Her weight had steadily stopped increasing and her hair had dulled and dried again, but she was stable and for him that was good enough. Bella could feel Paul's missing presence. It was like a large black hole sitting at the center of her stomach. The winds inside the hole wreaked havoc on her nerves. She felt bad all day long and she ignored the pain. She kept herself reading and sleeping mostly. She was always too tired to do anything.

Paul had let her run. He had allowed her to push him away. He knew his absence would cause her pain so he snuck into her house whenever she slept and he made sure to relieve the pain of the missing imprint before she could succumb to the pain. His pack brothers had been outraged at his decision to let Bella have her distance. He was always tired. He stayed in the woods outside of her house all the time. He stayed there because he knew the imposing threat that surrounded Bella's life even while she chose to ignore the danger she placed herself in by evading LaPush. Paul let the burn in his chest rip through him day in and day out for 9 days and continued to protect her with his life and unfortunately for the pack, his health.

Bella nervously stood in the kitchen overlooking the window on top the sink to observe the trees swaying in her backyard. She had agreed to go out with the girls from her school - Jessica. Lauren and Angela. They had called her and suggested a trip to Port Angeles. Bella didn't say no because she wanted to rid herself of Paul's presence in her stomach. It was a worsening pain that only subsided when she slept. The car horn outside jolted her from her reverie. She grabbed her purse and ran out the door. Paul followed them all the way to Port Angeles; Bella appeared preoccupied from the trip.

He wanted to help her but he couldn't force her to come to him. He couldn't make the girl realize that he was the best option for her. Lover or otherwise. His sole purpose beyond being a wolf guardian of LaPush was to take care of Bella. Bella was in a clothing store with her friends, buying new clothes.

"Bella you need new clothes anyway!" Jessica encouraged throwing more shirts and pants and other items on Bella's open arms. Bella wanted to groan in protest but she wouldn't because she did need new clothes.

"You're right Jessica. I probably could use some other things like socks and maybe a pair of snow boots." Bella followed Jessica around the store while Angela and Lauren were in the dressing room. Paul wanted her to have everything she needed. Bella purchased the items and wandered off from her friends outside the shopping mall. The wind picked up around Bella, the fresh air reminded her vaguely of Paul the black hole pulsed.

Paul continued to watch the girls from a distance and followed them home. When Bella was dropped off at her home he returned to his usual place in the trees. Bella moved to put away her things and plopped herself on her bed to sleep. The trio had made her very tired. Paul took his opportunity and slipped through Bella's window. She had fallen asleep fully dressed and with her raggedy boots. He removed her shoes and placed her correctly in the bed.

Whenever he came he made sure to place a searing hand on her cheek. She would exhale a loud sigh of contentment and sleep peacefully. He too received momentary relief until he convinced himself his time was up and trudged back to his stationary post in the forest.

When Bella awoke the next morning she realized she was fully dressed and her boots were placed neatly at the edge of her footboard with her socks folded in a ball inside. She hadn't taken off her shoes nor had she gotten into the bed under her covers. Had her dad came to check on her? Bella highly doubted so. The only person who would have done this was... _Paul_.

The name surged a wave of nostalgia and nausea through her body. She missed him. His silence, his voice, his smell and most importantly his help. She felt better with him.

But she couldn't ignore the fact that Paul had imprinted on her. She was bound to him by the presence of his ...gods? She was bound to the man and he was bound to her. Yet her heart belonged to another. She couldn't love Paul. She wanted to-she wanted to be love him but Edward's beautiful face cast a glum overcast on her forest dreams.

She would be surrounded by autumn and she would lay in her spot below the trees that were marked by golden blood flamed leaves that followed the wind's footsteps. Yet with the enjoyment autumn brought her she'd remember her heart belonged to Edward and the skies would darken and the clouds brought a terrible storm. Bella would be struck by lightning and the electric current flowed through her body all the way to her hair. She would be consumed into a hot searing light. All the while through her pain she could see the trees and smell the wind blowing Paul's scent around.

She would be comforted in her death. That was all she could take from the dream before her own fatal nightmare thrust her eyes open and her hands into fists folded around her Egyptian cotton sheets. Bella was considerably confused with herself and her own emotions.

Today though, today Bella wanted to see him. She was tired of being tired. She wanted to feel whole again for a while. She couldn't love Paul but she could make sure she was safe so that he could live his life. She would live so that he could.


	8. Chapter 8

_Here is your second chapter of the day. Much thanks to Carina2026 always for her positive attitude and ninja editing skills. I would not be posting these chapters if it were not for her amazing talented-ness. Enjoy the chapter._

Paul had gone home during the time the night and the morning met. He had known today would be the day because his chest had that itch again that made him want to plunge a knife in his chest and drag until the itch was pacified. He hated the itch these days The past 10 days without her presence left him weak and itching. He had wanted to help Bella but he couldn't. She had to choose whether she wanted to live. She needed to choose life. Paul couldn't force that decision on her no matter how much the itching made him irk with a lonesome need to make it go away. It was amazing the the pack members had dealt with this itching chest condition. It explained why all the men were pussy whipped for their imprint. If he were as weak as them he'd succumb to her needs too.

Paul brewed the coffee and listened to the truck trudge through LaPush. Imposingly a eerie collection of howls penetrated the trucks whining battery and exhaust. Bella was here now and he grabbed boxes from the closet and placed them on the island. Bella approached the door quickly. She needed the scent. She needed it in her nose, in her mind, she needed the scent to penetrate her heart. The heart in her chest had gone cold again-she was dead inside.

But not for long. Paul was the salvation to her dying soul without Edward. And Bella? Bella would be the salvation that kept the man moving forward with his life by keeping hers safe. The value of her own life had gone up with Paul's intertwining to her soul and wellbeing. The pack needed Paul - he was the greatest fighter for the pack. He was loved by the tribe and his brother. She refused to let him be taken by her selfishness. She would live for him.

Bella opened the door and she smelled the coffee. Paul was in his usual place and he had gifts set out in boxes. She dropped her bag, kicked off her shoes, and dropped her coat in the middle of his foyer. She had missed the place. She had missed him. She couldn't love Paul. She couldn't- at least not yet. But she could live for him. Bella could offer him no greater gift than to ignore her own needs and live. Paul wanted her life. He wanted her to live. He didn't want her to die. She wouldn't let Paul lose her. She couldn't because Paul losing her would only cause him pain. A pain she wasn't sure the werewolf could survive. And nobody-the tribe, the pack, nor Bella could afford to lose him.

"Good morning Paul. I'm starving" Bella offered him a polite smile before sliding into her stool. She was relieved when she experienced the brilliance of the man's smile again.

"I've got you some pancakes and the gifts are yours too." Paul turned his back to Bella as he plucked pancakes off the griddle and placed other food on the plate for her. Bella picked the gift in the red box first. She tenderly unwrapped the green paper and lifted the lid. Bella's lips trembled with gratitude and defiance. She knew he wouldn't accept her giving them back. She knew he wouldn't allow her to say no thank you, yet the thought of the man touched her heart. She felt another swell of admiration for him as she lifted the snow boots out of the box. A nice pair of brown snow boots. She had needed a pair, he must have followed her to the mall that day.

"You've been watching over me this whole time?" Bella placed the lid back on the boots and moved to grab the other box.

"I'll always look after you Bella".

Bella tentatively fingered the corners of the box in front of her now. She was worried about what else he had assumed that she needed. She didn't like people buying things for her. She removed the paper and lid and found a mug. The mug was white with elegant gold words that read "coffee".

"It's your own mug for when you come over here. I saw it and it made me think of you" Bella's breathing hitched. She stared at the man in front of her. What was imprinting doing to her? It seemed the gifts were from her own personal picking. Did he know her that well? She loved the mug. She gingerly lifted it out of the box and removed the paper from the inside and handed it to Paul.

"I'll take it black" Bella knew he knew that. Paul seemed to know her very well. It was eerie how well he could know her. She was grateful for his acceptance of her silent peace offering. Paul poured her coffee silently and contemplated the next step with Bella from her.

"Would you like to hang out with the pack today?"

Bella raised up the mug, blocking her nose and mouth from Paul's view. He wanted her to hang out with the pack today?

"I have to take a piece to Port Angeles today. I figured you might want to see the pack today."

Bella nodded her head. She wouldn't have minded going with Paul, but she had't seen the pack members in such a long time. Paul lingered another moment before heading for the door. "Be safe today Bella". He threw a glance over his shoulder and winked at her.

Bella almost choked on her coffee. Paul was rarely so playful with her. He seemed so much brighter than when he was angry at her. But that might have to do with their confession hour a week or so ago. Bella washed her dishes and grabbed her keys. She missed Jacob too.

Jacob sat in Emily's kitchen staring at the chipped painted walls eluding the human eyes. He was concentrating hard on the matter of the pack. He was ascending his rightful place in the pack and Sam was graciously bowing out. He wasn't quite sure why things in the pack always seemed to crescendo toward hell. Paul imprinting on Bella. Jacob becoming alpha. Things took their own accord and never minded the desires and hearts of his pack members. The group was becoming dissatisfied with the results. They ask for apples and the wolf gods and genes gave them fucking acorns.

Bella slipped inside the Uley household and wrapped her arms around Jacob's broad shoulders. Jacob whirled around to embrace his favorite human in the world. Bella was a great distraction for him. She had been absent from Paul's life for days and had been missing from his life for weeks.

"Bells! How ya been?"

"Jacob I've missed you so much! We have so much to catch up on you know!" Bella had missed Jacob far more than she realized. Her best friend seemed to have aged over the past few weeks while she'd been traveling her path to Paul. He seemed to be laden with problems. Jacob's brown eyes were marked by patches of black. He was worried. "What's wrong?"

"Pack stuff Bells. You wanna come to the garage with me?" Jacob moved from the bench and held out a large cinnamon hand for Bella to take. She obliged. They walked the path through the woods- the shortest route to Jacob's house. "The pack is restless. Paul, Embry, Quil, Jared and Sam and I are managing the best we can. Every time we feel like we've got it together to succeed we get thrown with a curveball that penetrates the pack's mind and ruins our resolve as a team".

"You guys are fighting?"

"You misunderstand Bella. The pack is a team and when one member isn't right, when one team player is down and out the pack follows suit in a way. Leadership only takes you but so far without followers".

Bella's mouth popped open in surprise. When had Jacob gotten so wise and mature on her? And the down and out pack member was him referring to the fact the Paul and her had separated? They hadn't exactly been fighting. She didn't realize she had affected the pack with her actions. She hadn't meant to distract them from any task they needed to perform.

"I'm sorry Jacob. It won't happen again..." Jacob threw a sideways glance her way before a smile broke through his serious face.

"Eh. It's alright Bells. You needed time. Plus, it's not specifically you per say. Have you ever felt like you ask for something or fight for it and it never happens that way you intend or need?"

"Of course. The pack needs something but they can't have it?"

"No we feel like we ask the gods for... Apples and they give us acorns. The whole make lemon out of lemonade saying" Bella burst into laughter. Jacob may have been becoming the true alpha but that didn't save him from his kid like examples.

"Well Jake. On a serious note maybe the gods give you acorns instead of apples because you need them?"

"Hmph. I'd rather have what I asked for".

Bella met Jacob's eyes momentarily searching for something. Once she had found it she grabbed his bicep and leaned into him lovingly. "Jake sometimes we think apples are the best for us, but it's really the acorns that we need". Bella patted his arm. Both made no further comment to venture into the meaning of their own acorns and apples. Instead Jacob indulged his company with Bella by tinkering away on his rabbit until Quil and Embry joined them.

"Bella-roony! How ya been" Embry plopped on the couch with Bella and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Hey Embry! Hey Quil. I've had better days! You guys getting enough sleep and rest?

"Sleep is for weak humans like you Bella, right Embry?!"

"Of course Quil! Besides, we get plenty rest with Paul spending his nights outside your house barely getting any rest. He takes that shift and then one person patrols so it makes things much easier for us." Quil joined them on the couch perching on the arm.

"Guess what Bella?!" Embry excitedly twisted his body to face Bella. Their presence was like a circus and Bella was 5 again. They made her life feel so simple and easy because that's how they took theirs.

"What Embry" Bella laughed?

"Quil and I have dates tonight! Hot smoking twins from the sister tribe Mahka!" Embry thrust a flat hand above Bella's head and Quil met it enthusiastically with a hard high five.

"You guys are too much!" Bella chortled as she watched Jacob tinker away on his automobile.

"EMBRY! QUIL!" The three on the couch froze as Jacob raised his voice and it terrified everyone, after all this was Jacob. The wolves swallowed hard and Bella's eyes widened in surprise. "How dare you guys! How fucking dare you both... NOT HAVE A TWIN FOR ME?!" Jacob raised his wrench from the hood of the rabbit and turned his amused eyes on the group. Instantly Bella blew out a relieved breath and Quil flew back on the arm rest overturning the couch with Embry and Bella on it. Embry rushed forward to wrestle with Jacob and Bella picked herself up from the floor watching in mirth. It was nice to see the pack being so carefree.

The guys seemed so easily lifted from their impending responsibilities. Bella had rarely seen Paul like this. She wanted this for him. While she was giving him life through herself she would vow to help him be carefree. She wanted him to be happy. She wanted him to be carefree. After all, he had the heaviest weight on his back compared to the pack besides Sam who had torn apart Emily's beautiful face. Bella placed a loving hand on Quils arm as he lay next to her hooting and hollering for Embry to overthrow their weak single alpha

.

Charlie had received another call from Bella promising she'd be safe and was spending the night with Emily Uley. _Again_. Charlie was glad because the attacks in the areas surrounding Forks had grown dangerously high from wild animals. Charlie wondered briefly if there was something in the woods. Something that made the animals act and attack humans? He dismissed it quickly and grabbed the keys to the cruiser and left for more late hours at work.

Bella sat with Paul in the kitchen. He cooked and she read peacefully. Paul noted how she flipped the pages with her fingers gingerly. Whenever she paused to talk to him she would adorably fold the edge of the pages but not enough to ruin the page. She was engrossed in this novel more so it seemed than usual. He allowed her to read and continued cooking.

Bella noted how Paul would stand over the stove top and adorably double dip the spoons in the things he cooked to taste. He would perch his lips together after and make noises "tck" and mutter to himself. She found it intriguing. A powerful man such as himself in the kitchen whipping around seasonings and ingredients so elegantly. She found it harder to focus on her good book. She was folding her page tips often to engage him in conversation


	9. Chapter 9

_All awesome credit still goes to the story Beta Carina2026. She's amazing….literally. Anyway, enjoy the latest chapter I've written for the story. I guess the plot and story purpose will pick up after this._

The mutual peace between the two was shimmering like waves of the deep blue sea. Both of them had found peace being at the cabin. Bella had even slowly began leaving stuff all over his house. He loved when he came in the door to find her coat and her shoes in the middle of his pathway. He loved that he would glance in the kitchen and find her mug placed safely on the island with remnants of her coffee depending on the time of day. Paul found the girl was far greater at keeping herself alive these days. She made him happy.

Bella sometimes would leave a water gun at the door with her thrown items and a note that read "find me if you can punk". It was always on the days that Paul found himself down or frustrated with the leech that kept escaping. He would lovingly creep out the house and follow Bella's scent in the forest and douse her in surprise attacks. Bella knew he had an unfair advantage but to hear Paul's laugh was music to her ears. It was this gruff, deep sensation that shook her bones and made her teeth tingle in anticipation.

Bella had vowed to make Paul carefree and she was doing a damn good job at it. She would often play games with him to keep his mind off the tension of the pack. She loved playing with him. Sometimes he would even wrestle with her in the bedroom. Paul would gently, but roughly, tackle her on the bed and force her to surrender with tickles. She found herself flushed often in his presence and her face bright with childlike joy. After all both of them had their childhood unfairly stolen, Bella's by a responsibility to her ditzy mother and Paul with a cruel family past.

"Bella!" Paul walked into his home. He could hear the steady beat of her heart. Her coat was thrown in the floor with her shoes. Paul couldn't help the smile that grew on his face. She seemed to just know when the pack had a shit for shit day. The tension in the pack today was more problem than the leech.

Jacob was ascending into his role while Sam was descending roles. That wasn't the problem though - it was the short fuse the two calmest members of the pack had carried around today. Sam and Jake has nearly tore off Quil's head for not being at his place to meet the pack after he ran the perimeter. Except the perimeter had expanded farther to touch the roofs and mountains of Canada. Quil had done exceptionally well in this route but he wasn't the fastest. Paul was impressed but the alphas were less than thrilled. Their transition was prolonged because of the constant presence of the leech lately. She came nearly everyday and the pack needed time to encompass their alphas and acknowledge the change of commands.

Paul approached the bedroom. He could hear her holding her breath. She wanted to play and he did too. Paul braced himself as he flung the door open and caught Bella against the bed. His swift actions were rewarded with a loud squeal of terror followed by peals of laughter. He was so enthralled by her happiness. She had put on weight and was always smiling these days. In his own haste to surprise the girl he hadn't noticed that she wasn't in anything but his shirt again. She was braless and she smelled strongly of the best coffee he had ever tasted.

Bella giggled up at him in wonder. He was staring down at her with a thunderous smile that made her catch her breath every time.

Paul's smile was like the light for her blind eyes. She met his eyes and smiled again encouragingly. He seemed to have had a bad day. As Bella spent more time with the man she was getting these feelings. She would find herself doing things based on this rushing emotion throughout her body. The water guns had occurred when she was at the store grocery shopping for Charlie and like magnets she had felt the pull. A billowing of this powerful warmth as she approached them. She has bought them and decided if the guns could bring her childish joy then surely it could bring Paul some. And it started happening more often. Bella would feel something a rush of power warmth harmonizing with her heart and she'd just do things. They always seemed to make Paul happy in the end.

Paul ignored the nudity of Bella and placed his hands on her inner thighs and gave them a languished squeeze. He was rewarded with loud snorting laughter as the girl squirmed underneath him. Paul was absolutely happy like this. He loved the feelings it gave him. His itch in his chest for Bella's needs had become this new feeling that was less irksome. His knowledge for his imprint had become this beautiful fluttering in his heart. The itch had slowly became a harmony of lesser itches until it seemed like the itch was barely there and resembled a flutter in his rhythm of breaths. He found himself looking for Bella's needs to experience the feelings he gave her. Paul hadn't known love but now... Now he had experienced this power billowing if butterflies in his heart until his whole body murmured in appreciation from his fluttering heart.

"Please Paul! I ca-ARG" Bella's snorts of laughter interrupted her sentences until the was gasping for air with tears in her eyes. The weirdest part of this tickle session was the rich sensation it caused that traveled up her thighs into a part of her that she had yet thought to explore. She wanted his hands higher suddenly. She needed it. "Paul".

A breathy whisper of his name from Bella underneath his body made him look down at the girl. Her beautiful curls had grown considerably longer to reach the roundness below her back. Her face had rounded and her eyes glowed. The chocolate pools were so enticing Paul felt his own breath hitch with Bella's. She had rounded out in the past few weeks. Bella's breasts seemed heavier on her new frame and suddenly Paul was hyper aware of it. His chest began to flutter. Paul looked at her wholly before his head inched forward on his own accord. Bella could see him leaning in, she could smell the autumn greatly with him so close. She wanted to be consumed. She lifted her own head to bring their foreheads centimeters apart.

"You've gotta surrender babe" Paul's lips were so close to hers. Bella tried to focus on his words. She could see his eyes now. Deep pools of brown darker than hers and she was locked where was. The new pet name made her crazy. She was fond of 'little girl' but the possessiveness of 'babe' developed a new emotion for Bella. She liked Paul. A lot. Besides the imprinting, Paul listened to her and was always honest, but that was just him, not the power of soul bonding. He was generous, patient and understanding. She felt an admiration for the man beyond the imprinting making her attune to his needs. She'd developed a crush on him.

"I'll surrender" Bella whispered back, Paul could smell coffee everywhere now. Her eyes seemed to have darkened with her lust.

"You know the words Bella or you'll have to stay here forever" Paul couldn't get his voice to raise higher. He found himself whispering back at her.

"You're the greatest wolf in the world and your enemies shall fall in terror when you approach" Bella laughed her words. She had been forced the first time that Paul had tickled her to repeat those words back to him or else he'd never stop.

"Try again this time Bella." Paul looked her up and down in anticipation. He didn't exactly care what his enemies thought of him at the moment. He wanted to focus on Bella. He could feel the imprint shifting within her. Her resolve that Edward was her soulmate was weakening these days. He was becoming more and more attuned to the woman underneath him.

Bella contemplated the words to tell him in surrender. She was already his prisoner and suddenly she felt like she should surrender her entire being to this man above her. Surrender her heart, soul and spirit that was damaged by Edward. How much could she surrender to Paul? She wasn't fully over her past.

"I-I surrender" Bella murmured. Paul waited more in anticipation. Her eyes began to cross from trying to make eye contact with the man in front of her they were so close.

"What do you surrender babe" Paul pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth to hold himself at bay. Her eyes closed on their own accord.

"I surrender myself... To you." Bella murmured back to him. Paul didn't wait a second after 'you' left her mouth. He placed his lips over hers and pulled his body against hers. Bella had asked for this after all. Paul had pulled her into his gravity. She felt like she was being consumed. She wanted every part of this man. She loved the way his body moved, especially when he was approaching her. She had brought her heart and he had brought his soul.

The kiss sounded a loud thumping from their bodies together. Like the aftershock of a bell ringing. A loud signal of time. Of time transcending between the two. Bella has finally accepted the imprint. It didn't mean that she truly loved Paul over Edward. It meant she had accepted Paul's role in her life. He had been accepted as her brother, her best friend, her family and most importantly her new target of admiration and adoration. Paul was sure the new role he had transcended into was a slight step down from where he wanted to be. The word boyfriend slipped past his head briefly before Bella's lips ended all thoughts.

The kiss for Bella caused a sweet sensation of happiness to spread throughout her body. The sonic boom from the movies sounded suddenly. Fireworks wouldn't do this man justice. He was a searing roaring nuclear war blistering the desert. He caused the loud eruption in Bella's being. She felt like she had thirsted for the man forever. The molding of their lips was a peaceful euphonium of the angels. The kiss marked a new moment in Bella's life. How could Edward ever compete with this man for her heart? It was becoming harder and harder to deny herself Paul. A corner of her heart was his.

The soil of LaPush pounded under the feet of a terrified wolf in the night. The body snarled and roared away from the familiar scenery further away in the forest. A cacophony of agonizing wails entered the still night sky and pierced the intimacy of Paul and Bella's kiss. The two separated flush and mind boggled. Something was deeply wrong with the pack. The wolves had gone crazy and everyone had phased. Paul was aware of this even in human form. Paul stripped himself down instantly and threw the bedroom doors open. Bella followed behind him as he phased in the yard.

"PAUL" Pauls wolf froze. They had never heard Bella's voice so raw with emotion. Especially not about him... He turned his snout to the side. "Be careful". Bella grasped the porch as she watched Paul wrench himself into the night. She didn't know what was wrong but it didn't sound good. The pack had sounded pained and she hated the idea that Paul had taken off to join them in whatever plight they faced. Bella returned to his bedroom and laid down. She would just have to wait for Paul to come home.

Paul's hind legs lurched forward against the deep soil of the forest and the pack mind resounded loudly in his head. Vaguely a headache began to form at the side of his cranium near his eyes. His wolf snarled in response to the chorus of despair in his mind.

Paul you must find Leah she's taken off.

Leah?!

They've phased. The Clearwater children. They were having a family dinner and they both just burst into wolves. No one was hurt but Harry was already weak hearted. He went into shock and had a heart attack!

Got it! Where is Seth?

We've got em' boss. Jacob and Jared went to the hospital with Mrs. Sue! Seth is tamed.

Paul ignored the continued conversation with the pack in his head. He wanted to make sure he caught Leah before she exposed herself or hurt someone. Her scent was marked differently from his pack brothers. She smelled of more than the forest-she reeked of moss and flowers. A feminine wolf indeed. Her distress over her father resounded over the rest of the pack.

I KILLED HIM.

LEAH! You didn't kill him! The circumstances weren't the greatest that's all. He was taken to the hospital. The longer you wait to stop running and calm down the longer it is to get back to your father.

GET OUT OF MY HEAD! FUCKING SHIT. I'VE LOST MY MIND.

Paul followed the girl closely. He didn't want to exert unnecessary force on the girl but he also didn't want to chase her to Timbuktu.

LEAH THIS IS WHAT MURDERING YOUR FATHER LOOKS LIKE!

Paul bombarded the packs mind with images of his father hitting him and his mother. The feeling of disgust, powerlessness, and heartache at his own father's destructiveness of the people he loved. Paul let the image of his mothe'rs dead body whip and violently throttle down the packs mind until all the wolves had ceased movement. His last image, the one that haunted his soul was the feeling of rage he felt when he found his father in their old home. He let the blistering hot white wrath engulf the whole unity and released the full emotional distress he kept so tightly under wraps onto the brotherhood.

Leah watched in her own mind the events unfold. Paul was a wolf like her? He has moved in front of her. The voice in her head was his?! He had murdered his father. The way his claws had ripped the flesh of the old familiar looking man splattered blood everywhere. The claw had spliced the jugular and continued down the body and ripped apart the man's heart. Paul was a murderer. The thought crossed her mind briefly and a chorus of growls erupted from her head again.

It's okay guys. I am a murderer Leah. I slaughtered my father like the pig he was. You've got a perfectly good father yet you're still here running away from him. You're wasting time Leah.

Leah recognized the voice as Paul's again. She felt her own fear and inner turmoil lessen instantly. She wanted to see her father. What if he-what if he didn't-what if...?

Then I suggest you get running the other way towards Sam and Jacob.

At the mention of Sam he felt the heartache pierce through the pack.

Your father Leah. You only get goodbye once.

Leah took steady steps back until she found her resolve to run back to her father. She didn't want to not be there when he woke up. Leah raced back with Paul soundly on her tail. Paul kept his thoughts silent as he traveled back with his new sister... She had a good father...


	10. Chapter 10

_Been super busy enjoy…_

It was sometime before Paul could get himself back to the house. Getting Leah to phase back had proven a tedious task. She was wildly undisciplined and unhappy. She had little happiness with Sam trying to help her. And Jacob's absence proved a problem so Paul had been forced to bite the task and help the girl center herself. He hadn't struck a happy nerve until family was mentioned. She spent much of her time thinking of all the terrible moments she wished she could eradicate from her father's memory. Eventually she recalled joyous holiday occasions and she was able to return to human form and join her family in the hospital. Harry was in surgery.

Paul trudged back to his home. The pack had a rough night and a rough morning. He had been with Leah for hours. Embry had patrolled and Jacob had been at the hospital with Seth. While Quil and Jared rested; they'd been the ones on duty when shit had hit the fan. His bedroom door was still open and Paul knew she was sleep. She had tried waiting up for him. But she had eventually fallen asleep. Paul joined her in the bed. He wrapped a protective arm over her body and closed his eyes willing himself get some rest before the next unexpected event interrupted them throughout the day.

Paul woke up to a bed alone, his heart stammered in panic. Bella was gone ... He listened closely for her. He expelled air and threw his head back in relief. He could hear the shower water running and Bella's steady heart beat. He didn't feel well rested. He could have gone for more hours but it appeared that sleep had evaded him. The night had seemed like the longest moments ever. Paul remained in bed and waited for Bella to join him in the room.

Bella squirmed nervously in the bathroom after she had dressed. She was very antsy. She had awoken this morning to Paul in bed with her much to her relief. He seemed tired. She hadn't quite struck up the nerve to explain to him the things she felt in her heart these days. Last night waiting on her autumn relief to return she had begun to wonder about her life if she tried to leave LaPush. Surely Paul would have been unable to bear this burden and she couldn't quite see herself doing nothing all day-no work. She wasn't sure where her life was headed. She's had begun to like Paul...maybe even develop a crush.

Sure it compared nothing to the blistering heart shattering love and devotion she had to Edward. But Paul. Paul was her best friend. He was a quiet man, sure of himself, and confident in his life. She wanted that sense of belonging for herself. She wanted the sense of home and love. She didn't want to spend the rest of her life in this frigid cold place Edward had left her in. She wanted to live.

Bella entered the bedroom and God himself had graced her with the view of the man in the bed. Paul had fallen back to sleep. His arm thrown out over the bed and his face a peace mask. Paul was beautiful, she briefly remembered the word when she had called Jacob that after clunking her head on the hard soil floor of LaPush. Bella wanted to join him in the bed but she knew her presence that close would wake Paul up. He was hyper aware when it came to her emotions.

Edward was a constant cloud that followed Bella around as she tried to find any remnants of the sun. She wanted to feel the sun on her skin and Paul was what she wanted to feel most. She wanted to experience the imprint a permanent bond, it was good for her. Surely the apples Edward presented were much more appeasing to her broken heart but she needed her acorns. Paul was easier to carry around. He was as easy as breathing. He didn't hoover not the way that Edward had. Paul was honest with her, Paul wasn't perfect, and Paul wasn't unattainable.

Bella had decided to go on a walk. She had traveled down Paul's driveway and settled on traveling into the nearby scenery of the woods. She wanted to free herself of Edward but she hadn't known how. She wanted to rid herself of every dark nerve in her body connected to her heart. She hated to consider the impact emptying herself of Edward would present. She wanted the Cullen's gone from her fucking life.

Charlie was her father. He had missed her when her mother had uprooted herself from Forks. Charlie had wanted Bella with him always but he allowed her to make decisions for herself. She had decided that she no longer wanted to visit for the summer weeks. But Charlie still called and reminded her that she loved him. Bella was vaguely aware of the the blistering cloud of despair and danger that was flowing over the tree tops.

The moss of the tree tops had covered her from the sky or else she might have turned around and returned to Paul. The sky was an omen of approach that evaded Bella's senses as she climbed further into her heart, the forest. She was working through her own despair, and loss for the first love in her life. She needed this walk. Bella lost her footing momentarily and braced herself against the ground. She slammed roughly into the ground and felt the bruising that would punch its way from her muscles onto her pasty skin.

Bella wanted to be able to care for someone beyond the Cullen's. She had risked so much on them, her life, her family and her soul. She wanted to eradicate them from her heart and her memory. Edward had promised her after all. Bella considered the moments with Paul that had helped her realize she was capable of loving again.

Paul sleeping on the bed. Paul washing her coffee mug. Paul chasing her outside in the backyard. Paul laying across the bed while Bella was trying to find something to wear swearing he wasn't peaking-she was self conscious still in the towel. She remembered specifically a moment where Paul had differentiated himself from Edward. Bella had fallen outside while they were playing roughly. Paul had thrown his head back and laughed at her and told her to get up and go fix herself in the house. Bella had been insultingly shocked. Paul after all was her imprint surely he had known how much her fall had hurt. Bella had grumbled all the way into the house and bathroom.

In the mirror she looked at herself and saw the mess Paul had seen. No wonder he had laughed. Bella was covered in green. She had stained her cheeks even; she wasn't as fragile as a porcelain doll and she could handle tripping over her own feet every once in a while. She could handle smacking against the not so hard ground and get herself back up. She wouldn't splatter every time she failed or messed up. She could be fully capable of talking care of her own injuries and not just the ones on her body. She was capable of clearing her heart up the same way she had when she had fallen playing with Paul. Paul was letting her figure herself out. She was grateful for the difference in the men. She was 17 turning 18 at the beginning of her senior year and could fully appreciate making her own decisions and actions regarding her life.

Bella brushed herself off from the fall in the woods. But she had yet to get up she stared down at the ground in front off herself. She noticed the footprints on the ground she had yet to breach. After all she had spent a long time on the ground thinking of Paul. Bella was positive her own boots wouldn't have left such a human resembling foot print. Bella began to feel a sense of despair rise in her throat. She had gone to far in the forest. She had travelled away from Paul-a sleeping Paul and headed into the forest unsupervised. A manic emotion ran throw Bella's body. She threw her body up at once and turned and threw her feet forward as fast as possible. She hadn't necessarily seen Victoria but she was fully aware of the impending doom that was raising the hair on the back of her neck.

As surely as her senses had told her to run she could hear it now. The following footsteps. Bella was sure there was someone behind her now. Victoria was much faster than Bella and she was positive nothing else but the she-witch herself could be behind the panic that had lurched her back towards Paul's house. Bella was sure this was a trap.

Victoria was allowing her to run closer to the forest outside of Paul's house. Victoria wanted to kill Bella as close to the stench of wolf as possible. She watched the brunette stumble through the forest terrain never turning her head. Her long hair whipped dangerously behind her. It had grown much much longer sense Edward had been here. Victoria let the predatory nature in her come over her. She watched in with red. Bella's blood was rushing through her body and Victoria wanted to do much more than taste the little bitch. She let a laugh explode from her mouth.

Bella could see the opening that led to Paul's house when she heard the laugh. She had led Victoria right back to an unaware sleeping Paul. A Paul that would be easier to hurt. Bella let her heel dig into the ground and erupted the thundering of her feet on the forest floor and breathe in one more time before Victoria was upon her.

Victoria barely register the girl had stopped running outside the opening of Paul's house and grabbed the object of study she had been observing earlier. Victoria wrapped a stone fist up in Bella's hair and yanked expertly back on the girl's hair. Bella felt the yank was anything but gentle yet she was sure that Victoria had restrained herself. The scream in agony that escaped her lips had been only sound she could get out before Victoria pulled her body across the ground toward her. Bella hadn't seen her in a long time.

Victoria's wild hair was the same. The glowing fireball of red chaos on her shoulders of messy curls that caked from the hunter lifestyle she inhabited. Victoria was beautiful. Bella grasped out breathes of pain as she stared the female in her dry red eyes. The red pooled out into the depths of Bella's soul. She could feel the older female yanking her hair still. Bella should have never gone on the walk alone. She had forgotten in the safety of Paul's house how much danger her life was in.

"I'm going to destroy you, you little bitch" Victoria gripped her knotted hair further around the human girls hair. Bella could respond. The yanking of her hair was enough to send her whirling into a dark pool of painful sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Paul had woken to find Bella missing from the house, and his bedroom door open. He lurched forward and followed the scent outside until he hit the forest outskirts of his house. Paul didn't hesitate, he phased and ripped his clothes into scrap of unrecognizable clothes. Bella had gone into the forest without him. His wolf thundered through the forest floor and he felt the fear rise like bile in the wolf's stomach. Bella had gone into the forest. The fucking forest. The pack members that had phased felt the shift of their minds pulling right.

The unity of the 3 pack members shimmered around the mind of Paul to listen closely. His wolf's emotion glimmered over their own thoughts as they too lurched in the opposite direction to find the missing link of their pack. The united mind of the pack searched the outskirts of the forest. The whole motion of the 4 created a leading scented that captured the overly sweet smell of the creature that had evaded the LaPush lands so long.

Paul could smell the coffee through the forest. Bella was running. She was at least 4 miles out away from him. She was running and he could hear the boots he had bought her thundering forward to the direction of his house. Paul pushed himself forward as fast as he could. He wanted to reach her. He could hear the vampire keeping a steady walking pace after his mate. Paul was close enough he could smell the fear from Bella now. He could hear the thundering of her heart in her chest; her breathing coming out in fits of despair and raggedness, and he was sure he could feel the regret in his own mind of the pack.

Paul used the trees to keep himself from making to much noise as he approached the vampire. He could hear the yank she exerted on Bella's hair. But what truly wounded his own heart was the scream that Bella had responded with. He could hear her heart miss beats, and he could hear the impact her body had as her back hit the forest floor and was dragged against the floor of the forest. Paul let out a roar as her bounced silent fro tree trunk to tree trunk. That very moment the pain had overcome Bella and she had closed her eyes in agony. Paul landed a heavy paw on the unaware vampire's shoulder and the metallic of his hard nails ripped a loud metal sheet sounding screech through the right arm that was entangled in Bella's hair.

Victoria let out a squeal of surprise before she registered her arm had been removed from her body. As she stared at the large wolf hovering possessively over an unconscious Bella she weighted the heavy options. She could fight the wolf with one arm and sustain reasonable injury trying to injury the despicable human girl and maybe lose her own life. Victoria could hear the other three wolves closing in closely. She decided suddenly living was fair more important that just injuring the unconscious human. She wanted Bella to beg for her life. She wanted to pull her nails from her fingers and toes first, and then she wanted to break the bones in both her legs before she grew tired and fell unconscious. Then she wanted to let the girl painfully live until she woke up for one last breath to experience her beating weak heart ripped from her chest. Victoria would plunge her entire first and burst Bella's chest open. And more importantly she wanted the wolf there to see it.

Victoria was extremely good at being elusive. She retreated quickly and led the three other wolves fair away before she indulged herself in the ocean waters off the cliffs of their territory. The wolves resounded with humiliated and agonizing howls in the day sky. They had saved Bella but had only barely missed the chance to truly take her out of harms way. They had missed the opportunity to avenge their unconscious friend-their pack sister. The pack brothers trudged safely back to the outskirts of Paul's house to rid of the arm he had left behind after taking Bella to Sue's house.

Paul placed a tender palm against the crook where Bella's shoulder and neck met. The girl was fine. She would be fine. Her hair laid gentle swooped to the other side of her neck in jagged uneven pieces. Removing stone entangled in the girls hair had proven a difficult task for him and Sue. It would grow back even eventually. She only needed a few inches trimmed off her hair and she'd be good as new. Paul glazed over her resting form one more time before he placed his upper half across her waste exhaled a shaky breathe and cried.

Paul understood how much the imprint had effected his brother's suddenly. He understood why Sam had never forgiven himself for hurting Emily. He understood why Jared spent his nights he was suppose to be resting by Kim's side. This girl-Bella had become the sole focus of his existence besides the pestering urge to protect the tribal lands. He knew he every facial expression, he knew the annoying habits that she inhabited all over his house like twisting all the coffee mugs so the handles pointed to the left when filed away in the cabinets. He knew the tender natured-ness of her heart... She spent hours with him some nights talking about her feelings and his about their life lessons and losses.

When he had imprinted on Bella he felt like his own heart had split in two. He had given her half of his world, the sole focus of the man, the desires of the man he was, and the other half belonged to the wolf in him. He had felt a blistering adoration for the sleeping girl constantly all times of the day. He dreamed of her laughing. He daydreamed of her laying in his bed with him. He wished for her presence every second of the day. He ached to smell coffee in the morning. He ached for coffee all times of the day like a fiend for heroin. He had become this man with longing needs to fulfill the girls every desire.

Paul vaguely assumed the reason the gene that carried the wolf trait had given them the ability to imprint because the wolf part of his soul and spirit took so much of his humanity. These girls, the women they'd imprinted on had been the true form of preserving the manhood in the wolf. Being half beast was becoming overly dominant in Paul's life. He had forgotten not to be so serious. He had forgotten when he'd laid down at night how it felt to be in love. He had forgotten how it felt to love.

He loved his pack brothers dearly but he also felt a blistering rage almost all the time. Control over the wolf was easy. Summoning a possessive part of who he was became like breathing. But destroying and defeating the hot white rage inside him was harder for the man. He was alone. He was a murder and he had little worth while redeemable qualities in him. He had made a promise to himself that he would give Bella a life to live. He would help her if it was the last thing he could do. He'd keep one promise in his life. He had failed his family but he wouldn't fail her.

Imprinting was beyond the need to implant the wolf gene in baby descendants. The imprint was meant to keep the man sane. The imprint gave the man more purpose to balance with the wolf. It was as if Paul needed a reason to phase out of his four legged form. Bella was a great incentive. Family was a great incentive. Love was a great incentive to remain human. To be human. Without it Paul wondered vaguely where he would be. He imagined he'd be somewhere better the bridges that connected him to the animal. A man beast stuck with a billowing cloud of despair, unworthiness and anger that possessed every part of his being. But with Bella he couldn't be angry. He couldn't be stuck in unworthiness. He'd been given a task, and not as a wolf. Paul the man had a task to save the girl. And he wouldn't fail the only task he'd been given since he had watched his family die in his arms. The wolf wasn't the only part of him capable of greatness-or in Paul's mind capable of saving a life.

Yet today he had come so close to losing her that the fear of a world without Bella had left his heart laden with burdening sadness. Paul wasn't aware quite how much her life effected his yet because Bella was only in the phase of accepting the man in her heart. He wasn't as attuned with her as he should be emotionally and spiritually because apart of her wasn't his to behold. Paul had almost lost the most important thing in his life. He had nothing left. No one and nothing without Bella. He'd let time pass and he still couldn't get Bella to love him truly. Paul vaguely registered Bella's eyes opening in small slits first as she took in his sobbing form.

The fear that Paul would lose her heavily outweighed the fear that he would fail his last promise. Bella's life was everything to him. Bella's was life was the only thing in his world worth living. He was a murder. He was a man with nothing in his life-

Paul never got to finish his thoughts because a small hand had placed itself on his shoulder and began running smooth circles on his back. Bella gingerly pushed herself upright so that Paul's upper half was in her lap. He didn't left his head ashamed to let her see his tears. Bella continued to comfort him while he tried to get himself together. He hadn't figured everything out with her yet. He was to ashamed of himself. To ashamed of the failing role he'd taken as her protector-and her newly inherited role he possessed as her boyfriend.

"I'm sorry" it was a whisper. Bella leaned herself over his body and stuck her nose in his back. "I only took a walk to get things off my mind. I wasn't thinking. I forget when I'm with you my life is in danger sometimes. You make me feel so safe. I forgot Paul. That's stupid I know" she placed her whole cheek in his back. " I didn't know. I promise. I ran as soon as I figured out she was there. I ran back to you as fast as I could Paul".

The words struck a nerve in Paul's stomach. She had said she was running back to him as fast as she could. The words soothed his raging heart to a small ache. He pushed himself upright and engulfed Bella in his arms. She held him back silently. Paul had to do better. He had to fight for Bella's life. She had decided to live. She wanted to live. And he'd make sure of it. He hadn't failed completely. He sucked in his feelings of self pity and wallowing and put them aside for a time when he was alone.

"I'm sorry Bella. I should have woken up sooner. I should have known you were in danger." Paul placed a hand and ran it through her uneven hair. He needed her forgiveness. Bella pulled back so that she could look at the man in front of her. She could see his eyes were duller than usual. He wasn't smirking or smiling like her usually did. He wasn't himself. Paul was sad. And she couldn't exactly comprehend why. But Bella did know she'd forgive him for anything.

"I forgive you. Paul..." Bella placed a delicate hand on his moist cheeks. Paul looked at her expectedly. "I thought I'd never see you again... I thought I'd ruined everything... I thought I'd lost you...". Paul watched her blink away tears. He couldn't understand why in a moment of her almost dying she'd thought she'd lost him. Bella knew though her life to Paul was everything. She couldn't risk herself so recklessly because it risked Paul. She wouldn't let that happen again she wouldn't and couldn't let that happen. "Kiss me".

Paul drew back in surprise. He'd known Bella liked him. But other than the kiss yesterday they'd had limited physically intimate contact like that other than the boundaries of him holding and occasionally sneaking loving touches. Bella watched him hesitate before leaning in tentatively to see if she was sure. Paul was moving to slow for her pace, she met him half way.

The kiss they shared was shy at first two lips lingering against another before Bella slipped her hands around Paul's neck to deepen the kiss. She felt her heart settle and the warmth of happiness spill over into her whole body. A delightful shiver ran through her body. Paul felt his own churning emotion pacify as he kissed Bella. She tasted great. The scent of coffee touched him again and he slipped his arms around her back. The couple settled on stealing kisses the rest of the night in his bedroom until Bella had fallen asleep.

Somewhere Alice Cullen sat in a dark room with her husband scrambling to pack all the clothes she could. Jasper watched her in silent despair. Her emotions were a cocktail of pain, longing and aggravation. She'd had a vision of Victoria. The pesky red haired vampire Jasper had wanted to track down as soon as he'd shredded James into pieces. While the vixens emotional ties hadn't at the time been very strong over the dead make it was clear his family had under estimated the willingness and eagerness of her to avenge the man.

Alice was certain that doom was creeping slowly up on Bella. She'd seen her hair being ripped by Victoria and then darkness. Alice had been sure her best friend had lost her life. She'd fallen to her knees in a cloud of pain so strong Jasper couldn't smooth her heart. Bella was such an important part of the reason he's fought so hard to remain in the Cullen diet. He hadn't had a slip up since-he barely struggled these days. Alice on the other hand loved the girl beyond the limitations her brother had placed over her. She'd seen the pain Bella was in and saw no solution to the problem with her involvement. She couldn't insert herself in Bella's life temporarily without pushing her over the edge.

It wasn't until Alice had a vision of Edward and Bella standing out in the Swan yard by her bedroom window tree that Alice was sure Bella was alright. She had to find Edward and reconnect the shattered Cullen family. She'd dialed away on the small technology calling her parents and siblings to move back to Forks and set herself along with Jasper and Emmett on a mission to find Edward. He was somewhere in South America. Alice sighed in distraught as her husband wrapped a soothing warm arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. She needed to return to Bella. And more importantly she had to find Edward to return him to Bella.


	12. Chapter 12

Bella sighed as she chopped celery in the yellow and green kitchen that belonged to the Uley's. Paul had been very busy these last few days and she rarely got to see him. When she did she felt such earth shattering calmness settle over her heart and she longed for more moments together. Instead Paul would promise to see her later and send her to hang out with Emily and Leah. The tension in the house usually kept Bella on a thin wire between the two cousins. Bella missed Paul. She'd steal kisses more often now. She rarely asked permission either. She needed him.

Paul sighed as he patrolled the outer territory of LaPush. He missed Bella constantly these days. She'd become steadily bolder with her affection towards him. She'd steal kisses whenever she could. Wrap herself around him whenever she could. Paul loved her touching him but he was also wary. Bella still loved Edward. She loved him deeply and it was one of the preventions from their bond growing stronger. She was in love with another man. Paul was becoming steadily unhappy and inpatient so he avoided her whenever he could. He took unnecessary patrols to keep her from spending nights and weekends at his house. She went home or stayed with Emily while he spent the night running off his emotions.

Paul needed Bella to love him and he hadn't realized that he hadn't solely imprinted on the girl but he loved her so deeply that her love for another man prevented him for accepting the role as a lover. But Bella's emotional and physical showcase of her like for him left him in a confused state of mind. He loved the girl deeply but he wasn't sure he could handle the tender role she'd placed him in as her sideline while her heart waited on Edward.

Bella turned as Leah joined her and Emily in the kitchen. The girl usually didn't talk much, which caused Emily distress and then she'd usually abandon Bella to leave for her room. Much like any other day Emily vacated the premises with Leah's presence and left Bella in the kitchen to prepare the pack dinner. Bella understood both hurt over hurting one another. They'd come to a silent standoff where neither knew how to properly help the other or enter the territory to talk things out.

Bella cooked silently longing for Paul's company. She missed him dearly at times like this. Bella placed down the knife and mixed the ingredients in the strew Emily had begun to prepare.

"Hey Leah" Bella rarely got replies from the older girl. Leah had taken a dislike toward Bella. She had felt growing emotions for Paul. He was the only wolf that Leah could patrol with. He didn't look at Leah as an intrusion in the pack mind. Leah's presence had thrown off the harmony of the pack because she caused such regretful emotions in the shifting alpha male Sam. Bella didn't know the girl had developed a crush on Paul though. "I'm making stew you want to try it?" Leah didn't reply then either.

Bella let out a deep sigh before she stirred the mix and leaned her back against the counter and placed her head on the cabinet. "I miss Paul". It was a barely a whisper but Leah had heard it.

"Do you?"

Bella was fairly shocked at the voice she'd heard. Leah rarely talked back to anyone in the pack except maybe Paul. Bella looked at the beautiful girl in front of her. Leah was tall and toned in the arms and legs. She had a strong chin and nose that fit her round face well. The shaping of Leah's lips and eyes were fine and eerily beautiful for the harsh facial expressions that she'd placed there.

"He's avoiding you. I spend a large amount of time in his head when we're together you know? He's avoiding you because you're still in love with Edward. I don't know what either of them saw in you" Leah's bitterness seeped in Bella's heart. And Bella's eye watered spontaneously. She'd felt like Paul was always busy but she didn't know that he had been avoiding her. She knew she wasn't as beautiful as either him or Edward but she hadn't considered that her attractiveness would cost her both of them.

Bella didn't reply and lurched herself out of the Uley household toward her truck. She was suppose to stay on the LaPush land territories but she was to upset with Paul and herself for thinking that she could actually be happy with him. She hadn't noticed how distant he'd been which hurt her the most. Their imprinting had been haywire since that day Victoria had ripped her hair uneven. Bella figured it was simply the fact Paul was busy when really it was their imprint bond weakening. She drove home in silence.

Bella pulled down her street and almost swerved off the road. There in her driveway sat a perfect hallucination of Edward's silver Volvo. She almost threw the gear into reversed and gunned it in pure shock. She was stunned momentarily as she looked at the car and felt a surge of emotional despair and longing in her heart. Edward. Bella ripped her eyes away from the car and peered ahead by the tree outside her window and looked at the perfect figure underneath it.

His hair was more heaved around and messy then usual then she pictured for all those months. His lips still cherry red against the contrast of his white skin almost like snow except reflecting every color. He stood there watching Bella stare at him. He'd missed her. Edward felt vaguely aware of the inner turmoil and happiness he'd caused her. He waited patiently for her to park her car and get out. Bella moved slowly toward him in shock. And he did something she almost recalled never seeing him do. He smiled fully then. Teeth exposed and lips parted. It was beautiful and alluring. She wondered where she'd seen a smile that could compete with his. She was sure she'd seen one more beautiful before.

"Bella. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I foolishly left you in this terrible plight. You must know that I never knew Victoria would threaten your safety such as she has or I wouldn't have left. I left... I left because I loved you too much to lose you to my lifestyle. I love you too much to impose my unsafe living on you. You're to special, to beautiful, and to perfect for me to risk like that. I didn't mean any of those terrible things I said. I didn't mean I didn't want you with me. I've always wanted you with me. Always. I love you more than life it's self Bella. I love you enough I wanted you to have a life of normalcy. A life with a chance at love with a man who could give you the safety and happiness you deserved... I... I love you."

The rawness of Edwards voice didn't register to Bella. She was to entranced with the musical whimsy of his male voice. A deep tone of musical keys that let out one fluid motion of sound to create his voice. Bella looked at the man she loved with wide eyes. The wolf in the forest had registered the rawness of Edwards voice though. The shaking and the cracking behind some of the words he professed to Bella. In turn Bella to the wolf seemed completely happy and content to see the object of her affections and man of her dreams standing in front of her. Paul unluckily was phased at the same time and the resounding howl in the skies marked the woods of LaPush and all the pack members hurt with him. Bella hadn't loved him more than she loved Edward. Paul was almost positive of that.

Bella registered the sound of wolves in the darkening sky and retched her eyes away from Edward to look at the twilight clouds. Paul. Bella felt it then her own heart retching forward and her heartbeat speeding up. She had left LaPush and hadn't told anyone that the Cullen's were back. She hadn't seen Paul since yesterday because he was avoiding her. Her mood soured considerably at that. Edward watched Bella's face scrunch up in a scowl and he wondered briefly if she was the same girl he'd fallen recklessly in love with.

Bella was unsure of what to say to Edward. He hadn't meant any of those things that haunted her in her nightmares so much? Another emotion surged up in Bella. Anger. He hadn't meant any of those terrible things he had said that had left her a hallow shell of herself. Now he was here offering her words of love and condolences.

"Fuck off Edward" Bella turned quickly and slammed the door to her house shut. Once in her bedroom she saw Edward paralyzed outside her window. She wrenched it open again to offer him a further explanation. "I don't want your apology Edward! You hurt me! YOU FUCKING HURT ME. You hurt me to save me and I'll never forgive you for it. Not because you made a mistake Edward but because you ignored all those moments I shared with you. You ignored all the I love yous. You ignored all the nights I told you I couldn't be without you. You never believed in my love Edward and I can't forget that."

Edward felt his own undead heart drop to his stomach as he watched the love of his life slam her window shut and loudly hit the lock. Surely he could still get into her home but he would never disrespect her wishes. She had cursed and even worse she had yelled at him. Edward had never seen Bella so enraged. He hadn't meant to make her feel like her love confessions for the time they spent together weren't taken fully to heart. Though Edward hadn't fully expected Bella to go catatonic after he left. He had thought she'd move on and she'd confessed her soul to him and vowed to be he's forever. Edward felt disappointment in himself. He could smell the strong stench of wolf in the trees as he left the Swan residence:

Bella was panicking while she was in her room. She hadn't expected Edward to ever come back for her after a while. She'd grown use to her summer with Paul. Paul. Bella missed him trembling. He'd never taken anything she said lightly. She'd never felt like he didn't understand the value and depth of her emotion. She asked him for things and he always did them for her. She asked for time. He gave it. She asked him for kisses and he puckered up. She didn't struggle with her humanity when she was with him. Paul made her calm. He made her feel centered. And most importantly he made her happy.

Bella admired the way he knew his way around the kitchen-he ignored the gender roles and helped around the house. She loved how he slept with her at night and didn't watch her dream. He joined her in her dreams. She admired the way the man would play games with her. She adored the way he spoke bluntly to her. She admired the way he was honest. She loved the way he laughed. She loved the way when he was frustrated he'd spend a long time in the kitchen staring out over the view from the front window. She'd slip her arms around him and he'd always place his bigger and heavier ones on top. Paul never treated her like she was to fragile, he never treated her like she couldn't handle tough situations or the truth even if it threatened her life. She loved Paul.

Paul had reminded her how important Charlie was to her. Paul had reminded Bella how important it was to enjoy life while you had it. He taught her how to deal with loss. He made her feel capable of picking herself up. He would bring home books that she loved. And she would bring over cookie dough. He loved to eat it. She noticed with all their time together how much he loved desserts. He also loved to go sit out on the porch and view the night sky with her in tow. He loved when he came home and she was folding laundry for him. He loved the small things she'd done for him. He didn't mind she'd started slowly taking over his house and making it her own. He loved Bella. And she loved him back. She hadn't known she could remove Edward from her life until he came back and placed the power back in her hands. She could rid herself of everything that she wanted too.

Bella yanked a pair of scissors off her desk and moved to the bathroom. She grabbed 5 or so inches of her hair and started removing it until all her hair was an even shoulder length. Victoria had ruined her long hair by creating unevenness. Edward had loved her hair. She hoped Paul loved her otherwise. Bella viewed herself in the mirror and smiled to herself. She could be happy without Edward. She could. She only needed to get to LaPush, back to her pack. And her Paul.

The pack. She had to warn the pack the Cullen's had returned. She had forgotten in her manic rage of cutting and realization of her love for Paul that she hadn't warned any of them. She threw down the scissors and raced to her truck. Edward forgotten in her past and headed back on wolf territory.

The wolves sat in solemn silence waiting on Jacob and Sam to return from Paul's. The older wolf had thrown the largest fit in wolf history when he'd caught a glimpse into Leah's mind of Bella with the leech. The whole pack had phased as the news spread and his mind was the hardest to understand even in all the chaos. Paul was desperate and angry. The wolves had thrown themselves in a frenzy to stop him from going to Forks. The Cullen's owned that territory, and they'd never hurt Bella. She loved them. Paul had caused a lot of damage to the forest as the wolves surrounded him in attempt to prevent war.

The act of surrounding and overpowering a wolf like Paul caused casualties. Embry sat with a swollen eye and lip from the hind legged kick Paul had given him when he bit at his legs to stop him from going after the Cullen's. Paul was a powerful fighter and even worse when he was blistering with the same white hot rage they hadn't seen since he'd imprinted on Bella. They'd started to believe that Bella was accepting him finally. They'd watch Paul think and turn over the knowledge and memories of her stealing kisses and touching him intimately. The pack could almost hear his pain when the alphas had forced him to phase back. In that movement Jacob was forced into the role and Sam was thrust down.

Jacob had assumed the role with all the pack gathered and solemnly forced Paul to phase back. The alpha order had torn Paul down because he was fully connected to the gapping bridge with his rage and loss of his imprint. The pack bowed down but Paul resisted. Paul resisted because he was hurt and Jacob was forced to handle the situation accordingly. He'd ordered the pack to attack. And Paul had been pinned down with a struggle but once he had Jacob had snapped out a strong thundering order that Paul had to submit to. His submissive exposure surrendered his own free will and he'd gone human. That didn't stop him from destroying his own home. That's why Jacob had dragged Sam along with him to check on him. Sam had become a second in command. And the pack couldn't face Paul. His heart was broken and that was far worse then his anger. They could hear Bella's truck pull up to Emily's and Sam place. She wasted no time running in.

"Where's Paul" the pack was somberly eyeing her up and down. But her heart was sure the essence of her being was missing from the group. "The Cullen's they're back. Where's Paul? I came to warn you guys. To warn you guys that I had run into Edward he was at the house." Bella moved to look in the back rooms for her mate. She turned toward the group again expectantly. "WHERE THE FUCK IS PAUL?"

The pack shimmered in one movement still in harmony from the shift of commands. They eyed her wearily again. Bella felt her heart speed up and her eyes begin to water. They looked her over skeptically before someone answered her.

"Shouldn't you be with them?" Quil rose from the bench to move towards Bella. He couldn't believe his eyes. Her hair swayed at her shoulders. His brothers feared too strongly for Paul's heart to allow Bella to see him without making sure she wasn't coming to put him down like a dog.

"I should be with Paul" Bella's eyes flashed at him before she moved closer to Quil stalking forward. "Where is he Quil? I need him". Her words struck a nerve and Jared forced his hands to cover his face. Embry shifted uncomfortably in his seat. While Seth and Leah silently watched the girl approach their brother until they were face to chest. Quil looked down on her. She needed him. She'd spoken as if she hadn't chosen Edward.

"He's at his house. But Bella he isn't good. Leah saw you with Edward. She saw you with Edward and Paul saw too. He was a mess. He still is. Jacob and Sam went to stop him for destroying the house". Jared was always the most reasonable wolf of all the pack. The most responsible besides Sam for a long time.

"He thought you went back with him. We all did. We didn't know what to expect." Quil forced Bella to match his eyes again. She felt her heart thundering in her chest again when she heard that Paul wasn't okay because of her.

"I don't want Edward. I want Paul". Bella wasted no time and threw the screen door open and ran in the direction of Paul's house.

"HOT DAMN" Quil chuckles nervously. The Cullen's appearance had left the pack in shambles but in unity. Jacob had assented fully into the role as their alpha and the pack was all together to submit. The presences of the Cullen's had given the pack a much needed patrol break with their return. The other vampire would be wary to set foot on either territory with the impending threat. Quil always had been the foolish and most childish member of the pack. Everyone blew a sigh of relief and hoped for the best in regard to their pack brother and hopefully pack sister. Bella had seemed rather sure that Pail was what she wanted. They all believed her.

Jacob and Sam watched her approach the house full speed. Her face was flushed from running, and her beautiful long hair reached her shoulders in a straight cut swaying around her as she jogged toward Paul's house. Sam sighed in exhaustion. They'd just got Paul to calm down but he almost wished they'd let him go on a rampage. Because Paul broken and feeling it was so much worse than any raging fit he'd ever had. Jacob was fairly happy to see his best friend. Bella looked a lot better than she had at the beginning of the summer. She had gained weight and she'd become more and more animated as the days passed. Jacob was unnecessarily worried about both her and Paul. He had a deep knowing of a sense when his pack was ready. Today had been a summoning day for them all.

The Cullen's arrival had thrust the members of his pack in a meeting all together for the first time. He'd been able to ascend to his birth place and Sam had hungrily descended to his membership in the pack. Leadership for Sam had not been easy nor had he ever taken the burden lightly. Now Jacob had a deep sense of readiness towards Bella, his best friend-his sister. Jacob had watched the couple together and Bella was happy and younger. Paul was good for her and mostly importantly to Jacob Paul was good to her. He rose off the rocking chairs onto his aching feet and his second followed suit. Bella was on the porch now.

"Come on Sam let's give them time to talk. We need to schedule a meeting with the Cullen's anyway. Bella..." Jacob smiled down at her before passing by her to leave. He didn't need to be alpha to know his best friend. "Nice hair cut Bells". Sam watched the two cautiously but followed his leader wordlessly. Bella didn't reply. She was headed inside.

The lights were out in the house and the darkening sky made it hard to see. Bella made out his stoic figure in the darkness by the kitchen island. Paul was where he was every morning when she came. He watched her approach him. He eyed her body twice to make sure she was unharmed before averting his eyes downward. She seemed perfect. The hair cut threw him backwards for a brief second... It made her seem older much older than the tender heart broken girl he'd coached all summer.

Bella slipped pass her favorite chair and walked toward Paul directly. And when she'd reached him she nervously wrapped her body around his and hoped he'd understand the message she needed to convey. Paul hadn't expected her to return with Edward back home professing sincerest apologies and love. Paul hadn't expected Bella to be here hugging him with her cheek on the lower parts of his rib and abs. She was so small.

"Bella..."

"He came back. That doesn't mean I'm going back Paul... I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left LaPush at all earlier. I found out you were avoiding me and I got upset. I was hurt and angry. So I left I didn't know Edward would be there. But I ... I told him to fuck off." She couldn't get herself to look up at him.

"Told him to fuck off did you...?" The brightness of his voice forced Bella to sneak a glance at him from her hair. Paul was smiling. A bright smile-she remembered suddenly-the smile that competed with even Edward's. Paul's smile could make her heart do things Edward never could. Paul had a smile that brightened her day and soothed her soul.

"Paul it's you... I didn't know how until today to cut him out of my life. I didn't know how until today to make peace with what he did. I didn't know how to stop loving him. But seeing him... Seeing him and hearing the doubt and belittling nature of our old relationship I knew. I knew Paul. I knew you were it. You never belittle me. You never not take me seriously. You never treat me like I'm not your equal." Bella placed her chin on his stomach so that she could crane her neck up to him.

"Never" it was the simplest reply he could offer her. It was all he could promise her in one word. It was all he could to stop himself from pouring out his own heart while she tried to bear hers to him. He hadn't expected her to come back to him-yet here she was in their kitchen. With her arms securely wrapped around him smiling up at him. He loved her. So simply and so fully now. No more fear. She loved him too. "I love you".

Bella struggled to get her mouth open to convey powerful words back to Paul. Instead her heart increased and her breathing accelerated. Paul had said he loved her. The words in his deep tenor voice made her stomach knot wordlessly and made lower parts of her pool with anticipation. It made her palms sweaty. It made her eyes water with emotion. But most importantly it gave Bella this deep deep settlement in the back of her mind like the last puzzle piece shifting into place. She could feel the imprint again. She pressed her face into his chest and breathed in. She could feel Paul's very essence inside her soul and she was very happy with that.

Paul mutually understood she wasn't ready to say the words to him yet. He always understood the feelings she had. He could almost feel it looking down at her-the imprinting change. Like a final settlement to seal their bond. He wasn't just a protector to Bella. He wasn't just her best friend. Her brother. Her family. He was in her heart. He was her soul mate and for that grace of the gods Paul would forever be in their depths. He knew she loved him. He could feel like. The butterflies in his chest he got whenever the women wrapped around him had flamed up like heart burn until a warm heat surrounded his whole body. He felt like he was inside a hot inferno fire but he'd never burned. Instead he could feel a hot pulsing warmth spreading all over. Bella was his all. He didn't need the words yet. After all she'd come back and that was the greatest I love you Paul could ever wish for.


	13. Chapter 13

Paul pressed his head against the cabinet in Sam's kitchen in frustration. His fingers tingled lightly to touch Bella and his heart wretched in the direction of his home where he had left the sole purpose of his living snoring lightly in his bed. The re-arrival of the Cullen clan had caused a shit storm. It seemed every good moment that Paul and his imprint had was graced with disaster. The Cullen issue needed to be addressed and unfortunately the pack was split on the decision on how to digress into handling a new treaty. The new treaty needed to include Bella. She was off limits. Paul would single handily destroy the existence of Edward Cullen and bare the burden of taking the little life left from the frozen teenage boy. Paul didn't want those vampires anywhere near Bella. He wanted her edge of Forks snatched from underneath the Cullen territory and placed under strict rules of avoidance much like the Rez.

The wolves waited for Jacob to voice his final objection about a new treaty with the sworn enemy. Jacob exhaled through his mouth and leaned his hands palm down against the table to brace himself for the emotional shift of the pack. The cloud of thunderous energy ramping through his brotherhood was hard to ignore. Jacob wanted to succumb to the energy and let his own wolf bask in the hype. The hype was enough to make his wolf burst through his very fucking veins. Jacob felt his own heart rate accelerating with the breathing of the males in front of him. His eyes slicked over to an authoritarian yellow and the packs own eyes matched his eyes theirs pitch black with intensity.

A tongue slide from Jared's mouth and glided over his bottom lip in slow delicious sensuality. The level headedness that Jacob needed was no where in sight. Even Sam, clenched fisted and breathing heavily was heaving from tenor growls. Jacob wanted to break the table underneath him in half suddenly. He felt his own resistance to a new treaty slipping with the packs patience.

"New treaty it is..." Jacob's voice was no longer his own. The depth and power behind him resounded with the after shock of an earthquake and the pack dispelled a breath as a unity. A hoot and howl of excitement launched from Embry and Quil ended the last of the intensity and relaxation spilled over into the Uley household.

Paul pushed himself with his head off the cabinet and exited the house. He needed to see Bella's sleeping form in his bed again. The dangerous thing about being bound to an animal in his entire being was the animalistic tendencies the pack burdened even as men. Paul needed to scent the girl, smell her emotions, and more importantly smell her scent mixed in with his own-his sheets. The house emerged into view and Paul hurried up the steps silently to reach his treasure. Bella was dreaming lazily of autumn skies and sun, unaware of the beast that loomed heavily over her sleeping form. Paul couldn't resist the urge to stick his head in the crook of her neck and shoulder and sniff deeply.

Bella shifted sleepily, even unconsciously she was familiarized with the temperature and smell of her other half. Paul pressed into her neck harder until his lips were inches from her jugular.

He bared his teeth and gently guided them across the smooth pale skin of Bella's neck. The electricity that flowed between the two was enough to make Bella's hair stand on the back of her neck. One eye from the brunette popped open to catch the man in her peripheral biting and licking the most sensitive part of her neck. She squirmed in discomfort and pleasure until he placed one last long luxurious lick from the base of her neck to the tip of her cheek bone. Bella watched him move into the bed until he was facing her.

The yellow eyes peering eerie back at her made goose bumps break out all over her skin. She was considerably happy to see the man in front of her-animal and all. Bella lifted a fragile artistic hand on his cheek and pressed her lips forward until they met the destination on the man that had captured her heart. Kissing Paul, no matter how much she continued to explore, was nothing she could ever get use too. The fireworks caused explosive results from them both. Bella felt like every time they touched a symphony of strong instruments narrated their physical love story. A soft, loud, exciting, delicate, intense, and sensual cacophony of angelic voices. Paul's wolf released its hold from the man at the feeling of their imprints lips against theirs. Paul was man above all else for Bella.

He slid a strong arm around the brunette and yanked her closer until her own arms were awkwardly blocking her body from touching his. Paul slowly lifted her left and right arms up until they were placed around his neck holding and cradling his head. Bella pressed her chest against the man in front of her and watched his longingly, Paul swept his rough tender hands down Bella's pale arms and moved to rub her back lifting her shirt to access skin. Bella busied herself with finding Paul's lips again. She'd never felt so close to being consumed before. Bella remembered vaguely the time she'd faced off with James and had faced death squarely in the eye.

Her death that day was nothing compared to the the dangerous consumption she felt approaching her in the arms of the man she adored. She was surely afraid of death this time, after all if she died how would she ever get to touch, kiss or see Paul again. That wasn't acceptable. That's the way that love should be. Something worth living and fighting for. Surely she would die for Paul, but more importantly she wanted to live for the man kissing his way to her shoulder blades exposed from her tank top. Paul moved backed to face Bella, seeking permission.

Whatever he was asking for permission to do Bella stared intensely into his eyes waiting for his next touch-aching for it. Paul must have found whatever he was searching for. Because he pulled the tank top from her body and exposed hard rosy buds and fresh goose bumps from exposure.

Bella was to distracted to be embarrassed about being top less with her breast out. Paul had pulled her mind into his lips again. Bella couldn't find her thoughts while Paul's hand guided over her breast and pinched and squeezed. She felt glorious. Paul removed his lips from Bella's lips and pulled an irritated groan from Bella's lips in displeasure from the loss. The groaning quieted down considerably as he left hickeys down her neck and placed his mouth where no one had ever dated touch Bella-better yet lick or suck. The groans turned over to moans.

Bella woke up in Paul's bed feeling lethargic and lazy. Paul was no where in sight much to Bella's dismay. He had left hickeys all over her neck and breast much to her pleasure. Her frigidly pale skin had finally paid off with its blatant display of Paul's love for her. Bella stared at the sun peaking over the clouds from the bedroom balcony doors. She was quite positive that Paul was a touch of worldly heaven. Bella had never herself been religious but she had such faith in the man she loved.

She had such soul depth care and admiration for Paul that she was positive that he was a gift from some higher entity somewhere. She rolled over away from the sun and slipped back to sleep with thoughts of gratitude and hopefulness.

Paul was aware that Bella was probably still in the bed. He'd slipped out from under her naked upper half that morning. He was oddly satisfied with the marks he'd left all over her. Paul was positive Bella loved him and that feeling alone was enough to make his heart implode with paralyzing happiness. The positivity Paul had that she was ready to physically commit to him left him with an equally imploding emotion below his heart. He'd be patient. No matter how many nights he'd forced himself into the horrid position of blue balls after being so fully awakened by Bella. She was ready for him but their relationship boundaries were new and wondrously exciting. He wanted to bask in the love-the purity of it without the physical bonding of their bodies as one. Her first, his last.

The pack had gotten the message to the Cullen clan last night with the help of the tribal leaders. Billy had been more than happy to oblige his hand and clasping an iron fist down on the clan if cold ones. Old Quil stuck in his old ways traditional and nostalgic of his father's powers, had taken much convincing. He submitted only after the reminder of his owns father's passion for his mother, their imprint bond, had been thrown back into his face by his grandson. The shimmer in Paul's eye was enough to make the old geezer lean back in his chair and passively allow the meeting to proceed without objections. Paul's passion for Bella reminded him vaguely of the supernatural bond between his parents.

The pack had ordered the presence of the entire Cullen clan at the cliff lines where the streams lay in between the mountain edges that divided territory. The clan leader had graciously and readily agreed the meeting with the large pack, Paul preferred it this way-all the Cullen's presence that way he didn't have to worry about them bothering Bella. His Bella. He waited in human form along the sides of Sam and Jared. The two most experienced pack members besides Jacob to watch after him. Paul was under control since the acceptance and love of Bella had brightened his life but the pack was sure all calmness would be damned at the Cullen's threat to his happiness with Bella. Jacob was wary about the encounter enough. He had Embry and Quil flanking his sides on the left and right ahead of the three human wolves behind him. Leah and Seth patrolled the perimeter from both the Cullen's and reoccurring red head vampire that threatened Bella's life. Jacob's nostrils began to burn with the smell of rotting flesh and death. He knew then how close and quietly the Cullen's had been in approaching them. Caution for both sides was a constant procedure when these types of meeting arrangements occurred. Paul rocked back on his heels in anticipation. Carlisle was the first to emerge from the tree lines on the cliff. His family members closely gliding wordlessly behind him.

"Jacob, good to see. I hope all is well" Carlisle offered a brief nod towards the pack alpha and averted his eyes to the other wolves in greeting. He never ceased to be amazed by the sheer size and magnitude of power the wolves possessed. Of course their numbers had grown since the last time he had been here. Carlisle felt regret for leaving Bella linger in his being for a second longer before continuing to talk.

"We were not expecting to come back so soon. We received word from Alice while we vacationed of Bella and a certain vampire of our past having a violent encounter and rushed immediately to the aid. We by no means meant harm to your people or the pack of course". Jacob was so much like his grandfather. Carlisle found it intriguing. How kind, honest and likable the pack's alpha, the Blacks, were to him and his family.

"We have had a few incidents with the red haired vampire of course. We've got it under control. We've been keeping an eye on our sister" Jacob casually placed his hands in his cutoff pockets and nodded in greeting to the rest of the clan of sickly smelling clan members' feet from him.

"I didn't see the wolves intervening. I'm Alice Cullen, I have a gift where I can sometimes see the future of individuals based on the decisions to be made both randomly and with intent. Bella's future went black and I feared the worse of course until I saw her moments later greeting Edward upon our decision to return to Forks". Paul eyed the small women speaking yards from him. Bella had told him of this girl Alice how much she missed her dearly.

Alice was her best friend, this vampire with sharp flipped edges in a short pixie cut. Alice was approximately 5'2 if that and seemed both relaxed and approachable when she addressed the pack. Paul committed her to memory to tell Bella she had seen her estranged best friend in the meeting. He regretted not being able to deny Bella anything. After he had thoroughly left hickeys all over her soft plush breast he'd told her about the meeting and intent to rearrange the treaty to prevent any of the Cullen's from approaching Bella's side of Forks. Bella had been gracious in sacrificing her ties to the Cullen's but had asked him to deliver a message to Alice and the rest of the Cullen's. Paul had wanted to yell and scream no but instead had sighed and nodded his head in hopes to prevent both an argument and Bella's displeasure.

"Alice..." Paul hesitated until the small dead girl's golden eyes locked with his to continue. "Bella asked me to tell you... To please call her when the meetings ends. She has a lot she ... uhhh wants to share with you?" Paul hadn't meant to impose the statement as a question. Paul had never spoken to a vampire without animosity and contempt. He felt uncomfortable with such casual words.

"Of course. I'll call her as soon as this meeting ends". Alice offered a smile toward Paul, though the action had been harmless the exposure of Alice's teeth had set the phased wolfs into a frenzy. Her teeth were unnaturally sharpened at the end and sparkled like snow reflecting all light. The wolves around Jacob pressed back onto their back legs ready to lung baring teen and growls of warnings at the vampires in front of them. "I meant no harm". Alice assured with another smile this time without exposing her teeth. " I missed her. My family has missed her".

"She's missed you too... All of you. She asked me to tell you all that" Paul ran a hand through his hair and met the eye of a woman vampire with dark hair linked in hands with the coven leader. She seemed so ...nurturing ... unthreatening. Paul wished that the vampires didn't resemble humanity so much. Sometimes fighting and battling human looking beings was enough to send each wolf into a dark ominous place questioning their own humanity.

Just then reacting to Paul's thoughts of Bella Edward bared and lifted his own teeth. The pack took the warning from the vampire in stride and shifted their caution towards him in warning.

"Edward... Such actions are unnecessary. Please forgive my family. We have truly missed Bella. We didn't know that Victoria would cause such problems and will gladly help deal with her accordingly. I hate to cut the casualty short but I fear we've unsettled your pack enough for today and a shortened meeting would do us both good. What is it we can do for you Jacob?" Carlisle was by far the most level headed vampire the pack had encounter. He was so well mannered and poised in his language toward them. He seemed unangered, and patient in such a hostile environment. Paul relaxed his muscles but didn't stop watching the red haired boy in front of him.

"Bella is off limits. We want the territory back. Nothing within miles of her side of the city. Unless of course Bella invites you" Jacob didn't beat around the bush. Edward let out a loud hiss in protest.

Paul's own adrenaline burst threw his veins and his body contorted until paws replaced his feet on the ground. Clothes damned. He stalked toward Edward. Bella was more than off limits-she was a non-contender for Edward. Paul would personally rip his fucking balls from his dick and shove them down his throat if he so much as caught him looking at Bella. Paul would kill any man for her. Edward's eyes widened in realization. This was a wolf-a shape shifter that had taken his place when he'd left Bella. He had asked her-had begged her to find normality and she'd ran into the arms of a man that burst into fur the moment he was angered.

"You fucking mutt" such words from Edward left his family on high alert toward the wolf that was proving toward their beloved family member. Paul had nearly reached the edge of the cliff to cross territory lines onto Cullen land.

"PAUL" Jacob hadn't issued a command but the man's name was enough to still the wolf from crossing lines. Paul opened his mouth to expose his teeth to Edward. And snapped them shut in warning. Edward's own fist clenched and his lip lifted to snarl. Two men in love with the same woman. Something that would surely end one of them-Paul was positive it would be Edward. Jacob felt his stomach tighten-he didn't doubt Paul could handle Edward but he feared that a storm much larger than the Cullen's was brewing headed towards the pack. Paul-everyone had greater problems headed their way.

"Carlisle we aren't asking you. We're telling you Bella is off limits. Of course if Bella invites Alice or you and your family over that's different-but until you receive her explicit consent to approach her... don't" Jacob was tiring of this meeting. And Paul's control was wavering slowly.

The pack was reacting to his anger and Jacob was slipping off the rails himself. To feel the energy of the men around him ramping up like a thunderstorm on a summer day left his teeth tingling and his body feeling like small needles were being pressed inside his skin. Jacob may have been alpha but he was not immune to the anger that brewed through the pack. He was if anything the single orbit of the pack that was effected by their gravity-their needs and their feelings. Jacob cracked his neck in impatience.

"Of course Jacob. We won't approach Bella's place without her consent. Well monitor the areas that are ours and well assume you'll do the same?" Carlisle wanted the best for Bella whether that was Edward or the male that had burst into a huge wolf and threatened his oldest son.

"We've been doing a good job so far-" Jacob was interrupted.

"If you were doing a good job she wouldn't have gotten a hand on Bella in the first place"

Edward snarled. Paul in response roared in protest but his hind legs didn't move. The wolf was aware of the meetings termination. The acceptance that was flowing through his pores. The pack was like a solar system, an intimate solar system that had ripping tidal pools of communication, spoken and nonverbal cues that passed through. The boy-Edward was aggravating the fuck out of him. He wanted to return to the reason of his existence. Paul was insulted and both aggravated. There was truth to Edward's word but of course Paul would never let it happen again. He hadn't been aware that Bella was in danger until the last minute but he had known in time that's all that mattered at the time.

"Edward watch yourself. Next time I'll let Paul show you just how well he takes care of Bella. Believe me." Jacob lifted an eye brow in challenged and beckoned his pack members to follow him as he exited into the trees. Paul was the last wolf to follow; he slowly strutted after his pack looking over his shoulder at Edward snarling until he reached the tree line. Paul the man flooded the wolfs head with images of Bella-Edward's bark in protest was enough for the wolf and man as they exited to go home without another glance behind them.

Bella closed the cabinet to Emily's kitchen as she passed the female salt to add to the meal for the pack. They'd all returned...amped up after the meetings with the Cullen's. Bella was fairly happy that a fight hadn't broken out between the two groups. She was more than happy to see Paul. He had come in after the pack and she'd been waiting at the screen door for him. His face lit up at the site of her. He swept her up from the floor and she wrapped her legs around him. Bella rested on his abdomen with her legs securely wrapped around his waist, he placed soft kisses all over her face in greeting. He enjoyed her hair cut for the access it gave him to her neck and the obvious view it gave anyone who looked at her of his love marks he'd left all over her neck while she lay in his bed.

Bella was content surrounded by her pack; she helped Emily prepare their meal and watched them horse play in the house. Quil was teasing Jacob about some girl from school; Embry was laying across the couch sleep and Jared sat at the table hands running throw his short buzzed cut. Sam was standing by the fridge watching Emily shuffle about happily. He was happier these days-without the weight of the pack and the attention to be focused on the woman that had his heart. Leah still unable to watch Sam blatantly love her cousin was in the guest bedroom sleeping; while Seth had gone home to help his own mother prepare dinner. Paul much like Sam was happily watching Bella help Emily from the kitchen table. Paul was enamored with her.


End file.
